Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced on February 19th that he will not see for re-election in the 33rd district. This marks a turning point within Wisconsin politics as he is the longest-serving speaker in Wisconsin history. His rise to power occurred in the 2010 midterm elections when Republicans flipped control of the assembly and governor’s office. During Scott Walker’s first term, he co-chaired the Joint Finance Committee in 2011, which heavily moved forward most of Gov. Walker’s agenda such as Act 10. In addition, he was influential during the redistricting process as Republicans drew maps that heavily favored the party.
He would then be elected as speaker of the assembly in 2013. His power would be at its highest when the GOP majority in the assembly grew to 64-35 in 2017, just short of the supermajority. However, it would slowly dwindle as Democrats made progress such as 2018 when Tony Evers defeated Gov. Scott Walker in a narrow contest. Then, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the legislative map as unconstitutional in 2023. Leading to 10 seats gained by Democrats in a year in which the state voted for President Trump.
His decision to retire may be due to awareness of the GOP standing within the state and the country as a whole. As many Republicans in the U.S. House as announced their decision to retire. It is a very likelychance for the assembly and the senate to flip control in Wisconsin. Which would cause a Democratic trifecta for the first time since 2010.