MADISON, Wis. — Coming off of an election night victory, Gov. Tony Evers visited O’Keeffe Middle School on Wednesday as his first post-campaign stop.
Normally, the president’s party struggles during the midterm elections, especially in a state like Wisconsin.
Evers is the first governor in 32 years to win in the Badger State while also having a president from the same political party in the White House.
Though that is a history lesson, it is not why the governor decided to visit a school to recognize his second term.
“At the end of the day, I think it is all about what we have accomplished and the differences on some very significant issues between myself and my opponent,” Evers said of his victory.
Education is one of the primary issues that Evers used to set himself apart from Republican Tim Michels.
“There’s a handful of things that really are bipartisan issues, and education is one of them,” Evers explained. “There is no question about it. Are there difficulties within our public education system? Of course, there are.”
Bipartisanship will be critical as the makeup of the legislature changed little after Tuesday’s election, with Republicans hanging onto their strong majorities in both chambers.
“We will do everything we can, you know, I'm not all that foolish,” Evers told reporters. “I understand that there are a whole bunch of Republicans in the legislature, and we need to work with them, and we will do the best we can.”
Differences aside, the governor hopes more common ground can be found over the next four years, rather than him acting as a goalie against a Republican agenda more often than not.
“The will of the people will become the law of the land, and I sure the hell hope it happens within the next four years,” Evers said.
After a victory that went into the early morning hours, President Joe Biden called Gov. Evers to congratulate him on his win, according to the White House.