What happened on Election Day? Governor Scott Walker was asked that as he met with reporters Thursday for the first time since his loss to Democrat Tony Evers. “I guess I’ll leave that more to the pundits,” Walker said. “More than 30,000 more people voted for me, than they did in 2014.”
But Walker noted that record-breaking turnout in a mid-term election in Wisconsin left him on the short end of vote totals. “It just was a bigger turnout election than we’ve historically seen in the state of Wisconsin.”
Walker said reform is his legacy after two terms in office He noted that Republicans retain control of the legislature. “We’re not going to retreat. The state of Wisconsin is not going to go backwards.”
Walker’s comments came on the same day the state posted an unemployment rate of just three percent, for a third straight month. “There’s no other state in America that passed more common sense, conservative reforms in the past eight years,” Walker said. “We didn’t just pass them, they actually worked.”
Walker says the state Senate will need to pass a tax incentive package for Kimberly Clark by the end of this month, in order to keep the Neenah Cold Springs plant open. “If it’s not done by the end of the month, then they’re (jobs at the plant) just going to be gone,”
Republicans hold a 18-15 majority in the Senate, but three GOP members have indicated they won’t support the $70 million dollar package. Walker said the employee union could have the most leverage with Senate Democrats. “If they can’t convince Senate Democrats to vote, I certainly am not going to be able to convince them.”
AUDIO: Governor Walker press conference 22:50
Governor Scott Walker is downplaying Democrats’ concerns, that the Republican legislature may try to drastically restrict the powers of the office before governor-elect Tony Evers is sworn in. “There are things about affirming open, transparent government. codifying practices that have been in place in the past. Those things seem to be pretty reasonable. You’re certainly not going to see things that limit the ability of the governor to veto things.”
Republicans are also considering using the lame duck session to change the date of Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential preference primary. They’re concerned that a heavy Democratic turnout could hurt the reelection changes of state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly. Walker appointed the conservative Justice in 2016, and he’ll be up for reelection in 2020.
Walker said he was he open to changing the date of the presidential primary. “I always thought (while serving as Milwaukee County Executive) it was odd that those of us who were in nonpartisan office were on the ballot the same time as there were partisan elections.”
Walker was also asked his thoughts on the Baraboo High School senior boys who were caught giving a Nazi salute in a photo taken earlier this year. The image went viral this week. The governor was unequivocal. “I think they’re idiots,” Walker said. “Some try to brush it of as youthful indiscretion, but still they’re idiots.”