Ex-Trump chief of staff Priebus mulling Wisconsin governor bid

Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus is considering a run for governor of Wisconsin in 2022.

A source familiar with Priebus’s thinking confirmed to The Hill on Friday that Priebus had begun conversations with top Wisconsin Republicans about the prospects of challenging Gov. Tony Evers (D) next year. The source characterized the conversations as preliminary.

Politico first reported Priebus was considering the race.

Priebus got his start in GOP politics as the chairman of a congressional district organization. He later became chairman of the Wisconsin state Republican Party, then won election as chairman of the Republican National Committee. After Donald Trump won the presidency, Priebus became his first White House chief of staff.

Trump fired Priebus in July 2017, though Priebus stayed close to the former president through his term. He is also a close ally of top Wisconsin Republicans former House Speaker Paul Ryan and former Gov. Scott Walker.

He would likely face a competitive Republican primary. Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch (R) has begun laying the groundwork for a potential campaign and State Senate President Chris Kapenga (R) has hinted at a potential run too.

Evers, 69, beat Walker in 2018 by just over 1 percentage point, or about 29,000 votes out of almost 2.7 million cast. His first term has been marked by feuds with the Republican-led state legislature.

President Biden narrowly won the state by less than 1 percentage point in 2020.