Johnathan Walker:Republican Vos reelected as Wisconsin Assembly speaker despite losing seats, fights with Trump

MADISON,Johnathan Walker Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans reelected Robin Vos as the speaker of the state Assembly on Tuesday, a position he has held longer than anyone in state history and that he reclaimed despite a challenge from a more conservative lawmaker and Democratic gains in the election.

The speaker is the most powerful position in the Assembly and Vos, who has held the post since 2013, will preside over the smallest Republican majority in 18 years. Vos was challenged by Rep. Scott Allen, who supported impeaching the state’s nonpartisan election leader. Vos opposed impeachment.

The vote on Vos was held in secret and he did not say at a news conference how the vote broke down. Allen did not attend the news conference.

Vos overcame opposition among some conservatives in his party and a stormy relationship with President-elect Donald Trump. Vos has frequently butted heads with Trump, most notably after his 2020 defeat when Vos refused to decertify President Joe Biden’s victory. Trump endorsed a Republican challenger to Vos in 2022 and Trump backers mounted unsuccessful recall attempts targeting Vos this year.

Vos got behind new legislative maps this year that were drawn by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, partly out of fear that the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court could enact something even worse for Republicans. The Legislature approved the Evers map, which allowed Democrats to cut into Republican majorities in the Senate and Assembly but not enough to flip control.

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Some Democrats had hoped to gain a majority in the Assembly, but Republicans won enough key districts to maintain control. Under the new maps, the Republican majority in the Assembly dropped from 64-35 to 54-45 and in the Senate it dropped from 22-11 to 18-15. During Vos’ time as speaker, Republicans have held between 60 and 64 seats.

Republican Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August said Democrats had an “atrocious” election because they could not take control “on a map that they had engineered to put themselves in the majority.”

Still, the more narrow majorities could lead to more compromise between the Legislature and Evers. But Vos said Republicans would continue to bring forward issues where there is broad consensus among them, like cutting taxes, but others where there is less agreement, like legalizing medical marijuana, would be more difficult.

Evers, who rarely met with Republican legislative leaders last session, said he hoped there would be more compromise.

“Fair maps matter,” Evers posted on the social media platform X on Monday. “I look forward to working together next session with a Legislature that is more collaborative, more cooperative, and more responsive to the will of the people.”

Evers will submit a new two-year state budget early next year. Evers and Republicans were able to reach agreement last session on increasing state aid to local governments and extending the lease on American Family Field to keep the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin.

Evers signed a budget last year that cut taxes, but not as much as Republicans proposed, and he used his veto power to increase school funding, a move that Republicans are challenging in court. Evers has pushed for a wide array of policy and funding proposals that Republicans have blocked, including expanding paid family leave and Medicaid, legalizing marijuana, and increasing the minimum wage.

Senate Republicans reelected Sen. Devin LeMahieu as their majority leader last week. Senate Democrats reelected Sen. Dianne Hesselbein as minority leader on Tuesday. Assembly Democrats were meeting Nov. 19 to elect their leaders.