Assembly Speaker Robin Vos Still Weighing Whether To Run For Reelection
Vos has been speaker since 2012.
Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has been mum on the Republican majority’s plans for legislation if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to an abortion. He is seen at the Wisconsin State Capitol in 2020 in Madison, Wis. Coburn Dukehart/Wisconsin Watch
The powerful speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly says he hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll run for reelection in 2026.
“I’m planning on it,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said in an interview with WISN-TV. “But I don’t know.”
Vos has been elected to the Legislature every year since 2004, and elected to lead the Assembly each year since 2012.
“I’ve done this for a long time,” Vos said. “How long am I going to do it? I don’t know.”
Vos said with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers not seeking a third term, he’s excited about working with a different governor. He said he’s also excited about working with President Donald Trump’s administration.
As speaker, Vos is in charge of campaign strategy for Assembly Republicans. They currently hold a 54-45 seat majority, the narrowest since he became speaker. Next year’s election, the second under competitive legislative maps, could be the party’s most challenging in 18 years.
Vos said he’s always concerned about keeping the majority but did not think voters would reward Democrats.
Vos said the closest he has come to not running for reelection was two years ago, when he faced an attempted recall from a group that was mad he hadn’t tried to overturn the 2020 election.
“They had all the craziness,” Vos said. “They kind of got me re-engaged.”
Vos won the recall narrowly and has easily won each general election since by lopsided margins. In the new 33rd Assembly District, Vos avoided a GOP primary in 2024 and prevailed in the general election with 57 percent of the vote. A second recall attempt against the speaker last year went nowhere.
Vos conceded that his comments would lead people to speculate.
“People can’t help themselves,” Vos said. “At this point, I assume I’m running for reelection again, but who knows?”
Vos said he wouldn’t decide whether to run again until some time in January.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos still weighing whether to run again was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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