Governor Scott Walker
As expected, Governor Scott Walker will run for a third term in office in 2018.
After months of dropping hints, Walker announced his reelection campaign Sunday with a rally in Waukesha. It will be the fourth time the Republican governor has asked voters to elect him – after first winning in 2010, surviving a recall attempt in 2012, and being re-elected to a second term in 2014.
In an interview with WRN, Walker said the reason he wants to serve another four years as governor is because he believes there is more work to be done. He pointed to many of his accomplishments over the last seven years – such as reducing property taxes, freezing tuition at the University of Wisconsin, and increasing the size of the state’s workforce – but noted there are still many issues he would like to focus on.
“We want to make sure everyone can share in this economic prosperity, that everyone who wants a job can find a job…that every child has access to a great education,” Walker said.
Walker added that he wants to focus on increasing household incomes, stopping the growth of opioid and illegal drug use, and on making state government more efficient.
Unlike in previous elections where just a handful of candidates have run against him, several Democrats have already announced plans to challenge the governor. The field includes at least seven declared candidates, with multiple others still weighing their options. Walker does not see that as a sign he’s vulnerable though. Rather, he believes it’s more of an indication that Democrats can’t agree on who is “good enough” to win.
“In the end, it will be more of the same,” Walker argued. “We either have a choice between continuing to move forward and building off of the success we’ve had to create a comeback in Wisconsin that’s been positive for our citizens…or we can go backwards…back to the days of double digit tax increases, billion dollar budget deficits, and double digit job losses.”
Democrat Party of Wisconsin officials accused Walker of trying to reinvent himself for the campaign. “It’s appalling that Walker has not been focused on all the people of Wisconsin all along. He had his opportunity, yet his actions have benefited the wealthy elite at the top while he left everyone else behind,” said DPW Chair Martha Laning in a statement. “The greatest evidence that Scott Walker has failed Wisconsin is his own admission that in order to stand a chance at re-election, he must pretend to be the kind of public servant he has never actually been in his entire 25 years in government.”