Here are the Republicans running or likely to run for governor against Tony Evers in 2022

Hope Karnopp
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON - Democratic Gov. Tony Evers made his re-election bid official at his party's convention in June. 

Here is a non-exhaustive list of Republicans who have considered running against him or announced their campaigns.

Rebecca Kleefisch

Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch

The former lieutenant governor to Gov. Scott Walker jumped into the race in September. Until her announcement, Kleefisch served as president of the newly formed 1848 Project, which focused on an agenda of conservative policies for the state. She was previously the executive director of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission, which promoted the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote. 

Ahead of the race, Kleefisch weighed in on statewide issues, including supporting efforts led by Republican lawmakers to ban critical race theory in classrooms. 

Kevin Nicholson 

Marine veteran and Delafield businessman Kevin Nicholson.

The Marine veteran and Delafield businessman ran for Senate in 2018 but lost the Republican primary to Leah Vukmir. Nicholson leads a nonprofit organization called No Better Friend Corp. that promotes conservative public policy solutions.

Nicholson is likely to either run for governor or U.S. Senate if Republican Sen. Ron Johnson doesn't seek a third term. Johnson is still weighing whether to run for re-election. 

Republican donor Richard Uihlein

Republican donor Richard Uihlein spent millions in support of Nicholson's run. Nicholson appeared in an ad that featured an endorsement from Great America PAC, a group with ties to Steve Bannon, the former White House strategist in the Trump administration. 

Jonathan Wichmann

Business owner Jonathan Wichmann

The first Republican to officially announce a campaign, Wichmann is a small-business owner and political newcomer. He has criticized Evers' response to civil unrest in Kenosha in 2020 and said previously that he didn't consider COVID-19 to be a serious threat. 

Bill McCoshen

Lobbyist Bill McCoshen

The longtime political lobbyist and the former chief of staff to former Gov. Tommy Thompson spent months considering whether to run but decided against it in September.

More:Bill McCoshen, a likely candidate for governor, was once cited for urinating in a tavern

John Macco

Rep. John Macco

The fourth-term Assembly member from Ledgeview filed paperwork in August to run for governor but said at the time he had not made a final decision on a run. In November, he announced he would not run for governor and would back Kleefisch. 

Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.