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The worst kept secret in Madison is that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos may not run again in 2026. These rumors surface every two years around this time, and while his departure would be hugely significant, it would hardly be unexpected.

If he steps away he does so on his terms after one of the longest and most influential runs in Wisconsin politics.

Vos entered the Assembly in 2005 after winning his first race in 2004. He came in with a mix of local and political experience that most new legislators simply do not have. He had already spent a decade on the Racine County Board. Before that, he had worked as a legislative aide and as a district director for a member of Congress. He knew how the machinery of Madison moved before he ever sat in the chamber.

He also came in as a business owner. RoJos Popcorn Company has been his calling card for years. He bought the production facility decades ago and grew it exponentially. He has held rental properties and owned other ventures as well. That background shaped his style. He has always talked and voted like someone who signs payroll on Friday morning and reads legislative briefings on Sunday night.

Once he reached leadership he stayed there.

He became Speaker in 2013 and never lost the gavel. No one in Wisconsin history has held that post longer, and it’s a record that is unlikely to be surpassed. His time in charge spans recall attempts. Redistricting fights. Threats of actual physical harm. Intraparty pushes to move him out. Rumors. Innuendos. Conspiracy theories. 

And wins. A lot of wins.

Through it all he kept the Assembly Republicans together enough to pass major items that will outlast any single term or tenure, including a string of tax cuts that defined the budget fights of the Evers era.

Yes, the Governor takes the credit for the tax cuts and the budget surpluses, but the four budgets he proposed looked quite different than the ones Republicans sent him to sign.Through it all, Vos was a constant.

Wisconsin awaits his decision. It will be impactful, whatever it is and whenever it comes.

Just like most things Vos does.