evidence: Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker is trying to defy the odds in 2018, seeking a third term at a time when the political winds may be shifting against his party. In a close race, Walker faces Democrat Tony Evers, Wisconsin's state superintendent of public instruction, who has been elected three times to that nonpartisan statewide office. Education is a big issue in this election. Evers has attacked Walker for the deep cuts he made to public schools when he first took office. In turn, Walker has bragged about the big increase in school aid he signed just last year, a budget Evers himself praised. Evers has focused his campaign on health care, criticizing Walker for approving Wisconsin's participation in a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Walker has closed by focusing on Evers' willingness to raise a variety of taxes, including Wisconsin's gas tax. He has also warned that Evers would undo Walker's conservative accomplishments, like his landmark law that restricted union bargaining rights. Polling suggests Evers has an edge with independents in this race, but Wisconsin's Republican Party has a proven record of getting its voters to turn out. — Shawn Johnson, Wisconsin Public Radio