Republican political donors are throwing their support behind Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker's campaign for governor. Since the beginning of the year, the GOP hopeful raised over $1.1 million in campaign contributions.
UW Political Scientist Charles Franklin says being able to raise so much this early in the campaign shows Walker can get the support needed to compete. Franklin says it was important for Walker to get off to a strong start early on, so he can prove he will be a serious contender this time around. Walker dropped out of a contested primary race against Republican Mark Green during the last gubernatorial election.
Franklin says Walker is showing he can still raise money, in what's shaping up to be a contested primary for the Republican nomination. Former Congressman Mark Neumann recently announced his intention to run, which has raised questions about whether Walker is the "odds on favorite" to earn the nomination. Neumann will not need to report fundraising totals until the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Walker was able to out raise current Governor Jim Doyle during the first six months of the year. Doyle's campaign collected only about $900,000. The Democratic governor has still not confirmed he plans to seek a third term in office.
