Gov. Scott Walker (Photo: Andrew Beckett)
Governor Scott Walker says the hiring of an experienced political adviser is not a sign that he has decided to run for president.
The governor brought on Rick Wiley last month to serve as a senior adviser, as he weighs a potential presidential bid for 2016. Wiley has worked with the Republican National Committee, Republican Governor’s Association, and was also a liaison for the RGA to Walker’s campaign during his reelection bid.
Walker says that, since the election in November, he has received many inquiries from people around the country who are interested in helping with a potential campaign. Walker says “we wanted someone we could trust who had national experience to figure out if the people who were reaching out to us were legitimate and how to deal with that.”
AUDIO: Gov. Scott Walker (:47)
Also on Thursday, Walker was confirmed as attending the Iowa Freedom Summit in Des Moines later this month. Several other potential GOP presidential contenders are expected to be at the event. The governor says he’s going because “it’s one more opportunity to kind of share our vision, talk about what we’ve done in Wisconsin, and see if it matches the interests of people in Iowa.”
Walker insists he has no set timetable for making a decision on a presidential run. He says it’s something he must feel called to do and told reporters Thursday that he has been praying about the issue, as he has done for any other major decision in his life.