Francesca Pica
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, the longest serving assembly speaker in Wisconsin history, said he's considering not running for reelection in 2026 on WISN-TV's "Upfront."
Vos, a Republican from Rochester who has served as assembly speaker since 2013, said in an interview aired on Oct. 5 he will decide whether or not to seek reelection in 2026 early next year.
"I'm trying to think through, like, I've done this for a long time," Vos said. "How long am I going to do it? I don't know. Now that Tony Evers is leaving, I'm kind of excited about the fact of working with a different governor, so I just have to decide."
"I won't decide until sometime in January," he added.
Vos previously considered retiring in 2024, but he said a recall effort, backed by supporters of President Donald Trump, "reengaged" him and motivated him to seek another term.
Should Vos choose not to run, his seat will be one of many up for grabs up in 2026. Gov. Tony Evers announced in July he will not seek another term. Eight Democrats and two Republicans have formally entered the race. Races for lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer are also expected to be wide open.
Meanwhile, Democrats are hoping to gain control the state Assembly and Senate chambers after new district maps put them in play for the first time since 2011.
After GOP lawmakers passed a set of district maps drawn by Evers in January 2024, Democrats broke the Republican supermajority in the Senate and shaved the Assembly majority down to 54-45. Democrats will need to flip five Assembly seats and two Senate seats to win majorities.
Still, Vos said the public shouldn't read into his decision.
"I have won in so many circumstances," Vos said. "I think we're going to win the Assembly again. I really don't worry about that."
Vos has consistently won reelection by safe margins. He won the newly redrawn 33rd district race with 57% of the vote in 2024. In 2022, Vos narrowly survived a Trump-backed primary challenge, winning 73% of the vote in the general election.
Despite being a frequent target of Trump, Vos told WISN-TV he's "excited" for the next four years of the second Trump administration.
Vos also said he will likely vote against a bill introduced by GOP lawmakers to legalize medical marijuana, saying previous efforts to pass a more limited bill have failed to find enough support.
"I still think there is the hope to try to find some consensus, but it looks to me like the version that was released is just way to broad and way too wide ranging," he said.
Assembly lawmakers will return to the floor on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
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