Governor Scott Walker says a Democrat running for governor represents the failed polices of the past. Walker, in Eau Claire on Monday, responded to the announcement from Mary Burke. The Madison School Board member and former Trek Bicycle executive will run for governor in 2014.
“It’s a real choice, forward or backward,” Walker said. “I think we offer a great platform of reform going forward. I think whomever ends up being our ultimate opponent will take as back to the failed policies of the previous few years.”
AUDIO: Governor Scott Walker 3:15
Burke, who served as Commerce Secretary under Democratic Governor Jim Doyle, made her announcement in a video posted to YouTube. “I’ll let her and any other candidate worry about campaigning,” said Walker. “I’ll worry about making sure everybody in the state who wants a job is able to find a job.”
Burke’s candidacy has been the subject of media speculation for weeks, but the release of the video makes it official — the first Democrat to do so. Another Democrat, state Senator Kathleen Vinehout, said she’s still considering a run. Governor Walker has not yet declared that he’s a candidate for reelection in 2014.