Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is leaving the Legislature

Wisconsin’s longest-serving speaker used discipline, fundraising, and gerrymandered maps to cement a Republican majority for 12 years.

There is very little middle ground in Wisconsin political circles when it comes to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, the Racine County Republican who announced Thursday he would be leaving the Legislature after decades in the chamber, 12 of them as speaker.

“I love Robin like a little brother,” said Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine).

Vos “spent his career shoveling dirt on the grave of the American Dream to do the bidding of the most wealthy and powerful,” said Devin Remiker, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Leave it to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to find the moderate lane of magnanimity.

“The Speaker’s retirement marks the end of an era in Wisconsin politics, and I’m grateful to have served as governor during Speaker Vos’ tenure,” Evers said in a statement from his office shortly aftrer the announcement. “Although we’ve disagreed more often than we didn’t, I respect his candor, his ability to navigate complex policies and conversations, and his unrivaled passion for politics.”

The grace given by Evers does not reflect the historical record, which saw Vos turn the Legislature into a brick wall in the way of much of the governor’s agenda. Even when members from both parties agreed in principle on a topic, Vos frequently looked for ways to avoid giving Evers a “win.”

In return, Evers was frequently compared to a hockey goalie, blocking a seemingly ceaseless volley of Republican bills with his veto pen.

Whether a shrewd tactician or an architect of dysfunction, Vos leaves a heavy legacy in the Capitol, becoming the longest-serving speaker in the history of the state Assembly. Vos said he had been thinking about not running for reelection for some time, but a previously undisclosed mild heart attack last fall was a factor in his decision.

Vos told The Associated Press that he suspects Democrats will be “happy that I’m gone.” But he had a message for his conservative detractors: “You’re going to miss me.”

Not every Republican would describe themself as a fan of Vos. He had no qualms about putting his personal politics above the consensus of his caucus, a trait that may also have played a role in his retirement according to those who think Vos overplayed his hand on two bills designed to improve women’s healthcare. Despite overwhelming bipartisan support, Vos held up bills that would expand Medicaid coverage to new moms, from 60 days to a full year. Another bill would require insurance coverage for women needing follow-up screenings for breast cancer. 

First elected to the Assembly in 2004, Vos was a staunch ally of Republican Gov. Scott Walker, highlighted by the passage of the union-busting Act 10 law in 2011. That was also the year Republican majorities in the Assembly and Senate redrew the legislative and congressional district maps, locking in gerrymandered majorities until enough progressive candidates won spots on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and threw out the legislative maps in 2023. Vos leaves on the verge of possibly holding a different title: minority leader.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, who served with Vos in the Legislature and remained friends with him even though they’re political opposites, called him a “formidable opponent” and “probably the most intelligent and strategic Assembly speaker I have seen.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.