Wisconsin state schools superintendent Tony Evers emerged from a crowded Democratic primary field for governor on Tuesday and will now try to unseat incumbent Republican Scott Walker, who is seeking his third term.
Walker, first elected in 2010, is a high-profile conservative whose approval rating has been under 50% in recent polls. He was the first governor in U.S. history to survive a recall vote in 2012, and his 2016 presidential bid faded early.
Democrats praised the win by Evers, saying he would fight for better schools and affordable health care. The Republican Governors Association called Evers “a far-left, big government politician committed to raising taxes and opposing job creation.”
Democrats had campaigned on scaling back Walker’s signature 2011 law that restricted collective bargaining rights for public-sector workers in the state. The race is considered a toss-up, with Walker warning in recent days that he could start out behind a Democratic challenger. “You could have Daffy Duck on the ballot for the Democrats, and they’ll start out with at least 48% of the vote,” he joked at a campaign stop this past weekend.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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