Mr. Evers, 66, was a teacher and principal before he became the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, and he looks the part — a pen at the ready in his dress shirt pocket, a flop of white hair and a gentle smile.

His name is widely known in the state, but his political style is factual and bland, a concern for some Democratic voters who say they wonder whether a more inspirational candidate could better seize the political moment. But some strategists say Mr. Evers, who won the nomination in a wide field of primary candidates, is a safe, ideal choice for keeping the focus not on himself — but on Mr. Walker’s legacy.

By Mr. Evers’s telling, the state’s economic picture may be the centerpiece of Mr. Walker’s campaign, but that doesn’t make it a less potent argument for the Democrats — largely, he says, because people don’t feel like things are as upbeat as the statistics imply.

“He can talk about the unemployment rate until the cows come home,” Mr. Evers said in an interview. “Most people are just scraping by, so that doesn’t mean anything to them. Many of the people that are employed are having to get two or three jobs just make ends meet. Also, we’re in a state that people are leaving because of the decisions he has made. There’s a lot of data out there other than the unemployment rate.”

This is how Wisconsin Democrats are pivoting from a strict economic pitch to a case that may be easier to make: They say that Mr. Walker’s political philosophy has starved Wisconsin of money for needed services.

When Mr. Walker first entered office, he cut spending on schools. Gradual increases followed and the most recent budget had an infusion of new dollars, Tamarine Cornelius, an analyst at the Wisconsin Budget Project, said. But, she added, the new funds were not enough to make up for the initial cut, after adjusting for inflation.

Aid to the state’s university system has also been cut under Mr. Walker. In the 2010-11 budget year, state funding totaled $1.179 billion. It dropped by $178 million the following year after he took office, and stood at $1.06 billion in 2017-2018.