Ex-Trump chief of staff Priebus considering run for Wisconsin governor

Former Trump White House chief of staff Reince Priebus is considering a Wisconsin gubernatorial bid in 2022.

Priebus had conversations with top Wisconsin Republican officials regarding the possibility of challenging Incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in next year's election, but the conversations were only preliminary, according to Politico.

Priebus started in GOP politics as the chairman of a Wisconsin congressional district organization. He later became chairman of the Wisconsin state Republican Party, then chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Donald Trump upon winning the presidency in 2016, made Priebus, loyal to Trump through difficult stretches of the general election campaign, his first White House chief of staff.

However, Priebus' time as chief of staff was brief as Trump fired him in July 2017.

Priebus is a close ally of high-profile Wisconsin Republicans, including former House Speaker Paul Ryan and former Gov. Scott Walker.

The Republican primary is expected to be competitive in 2022 as former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch is looking to enter the GOP primary. And state Senate President Chris Kapenga, also a Republican, has hinted at run.

In 2018, Evers won the gubernatorial election against Walker by roughly just 1 percentage point. President Joe Biden won the state of Wisconsin by less than 1 percentage point in the 2020 presidential election against Trump.