Scott Walker (Wisconsin governor)

Scott Walker

Republican Party

Prior offices

Wisconsin State Assembly

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Milwaukee County Executive

Successor: Chris Abele

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Governor of Wisconsin

Successor: Tony Evers

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 6, 2018

Bildung

High school

Delevan-Darien High School, 1986

Kontakt

Personal Twitter

Scott Walker (Republican Party) was the Governor of Wisconsin. He assumed office in 2011. He left office in 2019.

Walker (Republican Party) ran for re-election for Governor of Wisconsin. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.

He ran on a joint ticket with the former lieutenant governor, Rebecca Kleefisch (R). He was first elected to the position in 2010.

On July 13, 2015, Walker announced that he was running for President of the United States in 2016. Walker suspended his campaign on September 21, 2015.

Walker served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1993 to 2002 and as Milwaukee County executive from 2002 to 2010.

Biography

Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Pat and Llewlyn Walker, Scott Walker first moved to Plainfield, Iowa, before settling in the small town of Delevan, Wisconsin, in 1977. Growing up, Walker was an active Boy Scout and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. When he served as governor, Walker continued to be involved with scouting. Through the American Legion, he also went to Ripon, Wisconsin, for Badger Boys State and then to Washington, D.C., for Boys Nation. Walker credited that experience with sparking his interest in politics.

Walker left Marquette University in his senior year to join the Red Cross in a marketing position. He also worked briefly for IBM while he was a student at Marquette. Having never returned to finish his degree, Walker was the first governor in over 64 years not to hold a college degree.

In 1993, Walker ran for and was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in a special election for the 14th District. He was re-elected four times and served nine years in the Assembly.

Walker ran for Milwaukee County executive in 2002 and won a special election that year after former county executive Tom Ament resigned. Walker was re-elected as county executive for Wisconsin's largest county in 2004 and 2008. In his 2008 re-election bid, Walker won over 57% of the vote. Walker officially stepped down as county executive on December 28, 2010, shortly after being elected the 45th governor of Wisconsin.

He previously ran for governor in 2006 but ended his candidacy over fundraising concerns. In April 2009, he announced his second run for governor.

Bildung

• High school diploma, Delevan-Darien High School (1986)
• Attended, Marquette University (1986 to 1990)

Political career

Governor of Wisconsin (2011 - 2019)

In both the 2010 primary and general election, Walker campaigned on a program of cutting spending, reversing taxes, and reducing salaries and benefits for public sector union employees. He promised to decline a proposed $800 million federal grant to build a rail line between Madison and Milwaukee, saying the annual upkeep would outpace federal government aid and be too expensive to make the project worthwhile. After his victory in 2010, the grant was rescinded and the money given to other states. Walker avoided recall by winning an election in 2012 and won a second four-year term in 2014.

County Executive of Milwaukee (2002 - 2010)

Walker was first elected to the county executive's office in a special election to replace a county executive who left office after he was targeted for recall due to a controversial pension deal. Walker went on to win re-election twice, with 57% of the vote in 2004 and 59% in 2008.

Wisconsin State Legislature (1993 - 2002)

In 1993, Walker ran for and was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in a special election for the 14th District. He was re-elected four times and served nine years in the Assembly.

During his four terms as a state legislator, Walker emphasized reducing crime, decreasing welfare programs, and opposing abortion.

Walker also authored a bill that ended the practice of reducing prisoners' sentences for good behavior.

Presidential preference

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Walker endorsed Ted Cruz for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

See also: Endorsements for Ted Cruz

Possible 2016 Republican vice presidential candidate

See also: Possible vice presidential picks, 2016

Walker was mentioned in 2016 as a possible Republican vice presidential candidate. Click here for the full list of those who were floated by politicians and news outlets as possible running mates.

Elections

2018

See also: Wisconsin gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018

See also: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Republican primary)

General election

General election for Governor of Wisconsin

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Wisconsin on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tony Evers (D)	49.5	1,324,307
		Scott Walker (R)	48.4	1,295,080
		Phillip Anderson (L)	0.8	20,225
		Maggie Turnbull (Independent)	0.7	18,884
		Michael White (G)	0.4	11,087
		Arnie Enz (The Wisconsin Party)	0.1	2,745
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	980

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,673,308
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tony Evers	41.8	225,082
		Mahlon Mitchell	16.3	87,926
		Kelda Roys	12.8	69,086
		Kathleen Vinehout	8.2	44,168
		Michael McCabe	7.4	39,885
		Matthew Flynn	5.9	31,580
		Paul Soglin	5.2	28,158
		Andy Gronik	1.2	6,627
		Dana Wachs	0.8	4,216
		Josh Pade	0.4	1,908

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 538,636
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Bob Harlow (D)
• Michele Doolan (D)
• Andrew Lust (D)
• Jeff Rumbaugh (D)
• Ramona Whiteaker (D)
• Mike Crute (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Wisconsin

Incumbent Scott Walker defeated Robert Meyer in the Republican primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Walker	91.6	417,276
		Robert Meyer	8.4	38,269

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 455,545
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Ryan Cason (R)

Green primary election

Green primary for Governor of Wisconsin

Michael White advanced from the Green primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael White	100.0	817

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 817
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Governor of Wisconsin

Phillip Anderson advanced from the Libertarian primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phillip Anderson	100.0	1,673

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,673
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2016

Presidency

See also: Scott Walker presidential campaign, 2016 and Presidential election, 2016

Scott Walker withdraws from the 2016 presidential race, September 21, 2015

On July 13, 2015, Walker announced that he was running for president of the United States in 2016. Walker experienced a decline in polling support during September 2015, which caused his campaign to struggle financially. According to Ballotpedia's Insiders Poll after the September 2015 CNN debate, 1% of Republican insiders considered Walker to be the biggest winner of the night. A CNN/ORC survey conducted in the three days following the September 16, 2015, Republican debate showed that Walker had less than 0.5% support, and a Quinnipiac poll from September 11, 2015, showed that he registered 3% support, a 15-point drop from when he topped Quinnipiac’s survey in July 2015 with 18% support. In his announcement, Walker said he was withdrawing in order to clear the field and allow voters to assess a smaller field of candidates with more care. He encouraged other Republican candidates to consider doing the same.

2014

See also: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2014

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Scott Walker/Rebecca Kleefisch Incumbent	52.3%	1,259,706
	Democrat	Mary Burke/John Lehman	46.6%	1,122,913
	Libertarian	Robert Burke/Joseph Brost	0.8%	18,720
	Independent	Dennis Fehr	0.3%	7,530
	Nonpartisan	Scattering	0.1%	1,248
	Nonpartisan	Write-in votes	0%	200
Total Votes				2,410,317
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

2012

See also: Scott Walker recall, Wisconsin (2012)

Recall of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Scott Walker Incumbent	53.1%	1,335,585
	Democratic	Tom Barrett	46.3%	1,164,480
	Independent	Hari Trivedi	0.6%	14,463
	Scattering	-	0.1%	1,537
Total Votes				2,516,065
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

Wisconsin Governor Recall - Republican Primary, 2012
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Scott Walker Incumbent	96.9%	626,962
Arthur Kohl-Riggs	3.1%	19,939
Patrick J. O'Brien (Write-In)	0%	17
Scattering	0%	204
Total Votes		647,122
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.

2010

See also: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2010

Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Scott Walker/Rebecca Kleefisch	52.2%	1,128,941
	Democratic	Tom Barrett/Tom Nelson	46.5%	1,004,303
	Independent	Jim Langer/No candidate	0.5%	10,608
	Libertarian	No candidate/Terry Virgil	0.3%	6,790
	Common Sense	James James/No candidate	0.4%	8,273
	Independent	Leslie Ervin Smetak/David Myron Smetak	0%	19
	Independent	Patricia Messici/No candidate	0%	22
	Independent	Hari Trivedi/No candidate	0%	18
	-	Scattering	0.1%	1,858
Total Votes				2,160,832
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

2008

2008 Milwaukee County Executive Election Results.
Candidates		Prozentualer Anteil
Scott Walker		57.74%
Lena Taylor		40.40%
Scattering		0.17%
Total votes		170,251

NOTE: County Executive candidates are listed as nonpartisan.

Campaign themes

2018

Campaign website

Walker's campaign website stated the following:

"	Jobs and Developing the Workforce Our goal is simple: ensure that everyone who wants a job can find a job and that our workforce is prepared for the jobs that are available. During the four years before we took office, Wisconsin was headed backward with the loss of 133,000 jobs and an unemployment rate that peaked at 9.3 percent. In fact, Wisconsin was in the Bottom 10 for business according to Chief Executive Magazine. Today, Wisconsin’s economy is strong and moving forward. Wisconsin is now ranked as one of the top states for business. The unemployment rate hit an all-time low in 2018 and more people are working than ever before in Wisconsin – over 3 million. To help Wisconsin win the 21st century, stay ahead of the curve and ensure long-term prosperity, we have enacted a comprehensive plan to develop our workforce. Targeted investments in our schools help students start thinking about their career choices as early as 6th grade. Investments in Dual Enrollment programs will help students achieve credit for high school graduation and get a head start on the associate or bachelor’s degree that is right for them. The Wisconsin Fast Forward program provides customized worker training in high-demand areas to help fill our workforce needs. And the state has a new labor management information system to track employment needs by region, helping to direct resources to meet specific workforce demands. Investments in workforce development, lower taxes, reasonable regulations, Right to Work: all of these contribute to a better climate for creating jobs and opportunity. We will continue to move Wisconsin forward with more bold reforms that help the private sector succeed while keeping taxpayers in charge. Cutting Taxes Since taking office in 2011, we reduced the tax burden on working families, senior citizens, small business owners, farmers and others by some $8 billion through the end of the budget cycle. In fact, Wisconsin is ranked as a Top 10 state for reducing the overall tax burden over a 5-year period. In the decade before taking office, property taxes increased by 27 percent. Thanks to our bold conservative reforms, property taxes will be lower in 2018 than they were in both 2014 and 2010. We even eliminated an entire tax as part of our pledge to keep taxpayers first. Income taxes will also be lower in 2018 than they were in 2010. This income tax relief helps hard-working families stay ahead and small businesses thrive. We have gone further by virtually eliminating taxes on core Wisconsin industries like manufacturing and agriculture. We even eliminated the tax on health savings accounts. We believe that you do a better job of spending your hard-earned money than the government does. Looking ahead, we will continue to hold the line on taxes because keeping more money in the hands of taxpayers will help Wisconsin win the 21st century by creating more jobs and leading to higher wages. Education and Investing in Our Future Every child deserves access to a great education. Thanks to our Reform Dividend, we can invest in our priorities. In fact, our recent budget makes a historic investment in our schools — $200 more per student this past school year and $204 more per student in the fall, more actual dollars than ever before. With our Act 10 reforms in place, these funds are more likely to be spent in the classroom and help our children receive the education needed for a bright future. Our rural schools face unique challenges, especially as it relates to enrollment and transportation. That’s why we increased investments in Sparsity Aid to help ensure our children have access to a great education, no matter their zip code. Wisconsin is in the Top 10 for high school graduation rates and ACT scores, and these historic investments will continue to bolster student success. My sons, Matt and Alex, went to great public schools in Wauwatosa – as did I in Delavan. Every family deserves access to a great education for their children at the public, charter, choice, private, virtual or home school that is right for them. To keep the cost of college affordable for students and working families, we froze tuition at all University of Wisconsin campuses six years in a row – the first multi-year tuition freeze in UW history. Needs-based financial assistance is also at an all-time high. The UW has more than $1 billion in academic research and development, and the overall UW System budget is the largest it has ever been, meaning university resources can be used on priorities in the classroom. And the latest state budget makes a significant investment in higher education so we can focus on more graduates filling high demand positions in our state, and help everyone in Wisconsin win the 21st century As we continue moving Wisconsin forward, we are focused on finding ways to help students get a head start on higher education credits for our technical colleges, University of Wisconsin campuses and all other in-state colleges and universities. Backing Wisconsin's Small Businesses Small businesses provide the vast majority of jobs in Wisconsin. We have a plan to strengthen our small businesses and help them win the 21st century. First, reduce business costs through lower taxes, stopping unemployment fraud, streamlining regulations and reducing frivolous lawsuits. Second, prepare the workforce through investing in K-12 education, increasing worker training, expanding opportunities in our technical colleges and strengthening ties between the University of Wisconsin system and the workforce. Third, end the public assistance benefits cliff, require able-bodied adults to work or receive employability training — and be able to pass a drug test before receiving public assistance — and target specific populations to enter the workforce. Fourth, market workforce opportunities within Wisconsin and recruit talent to the state from across the country and around the world. Standing Up for Rural Wisconsin Farming is about more than just business – it’s a way of life. Wisconsin farmers and the workers connected to our agriculture industry pump more than $88 billion each year into the state’s economy. With our conservative reforms in action, we’ve lowered property taxes, eliminated almost all the taxable liability on agricultural production, streamlined regulations, reduced frivolous lawsuits and promoted agricultural exports. Standing with Wisconsin’s dairy farmers, Gov. Walker created the Wisconsin Dairy Task Force 2.0 that will allow industry experts to work together to create real solutions that can help our farmers, processors, and allied organizations. We also increased assistance for rural schools, and our record investment in K-12 classrooms will help children across the state. Knowing that access to high-speed broadband internet is crucial to growing our economy and teaching our children, we’ve launched a rural broadband initiative and tripled grants for broadband in rural areas. To help everyone in Wisconsin win the 21st century, we are investing in our rural communities and fighting for the agriculture industry that is crucial to our economy. Preserving Our Heritage Hunting and fishing are important parts of the fabric of Wisconsin. As someone who enjoys these traditions in our great outdoors, I am always looking for ways to protect our heritage and preserve it for the next generation. We have been aggressive in promoting ways to improve the outdoor experience in Wisconsin. As Governor, I take an oath to uphold our federal and state constitutions. At the federal level, the Founders clearly defined our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. And at the state level, I voted to amend our state Constitution to include similar language. During my time as Governor, I’ve signed into law concealed carry and castle doctrine legislation. Both of these reforms help law-abiding citizens protect themselves and their property. I am honored to have an “A+” rating from the National Rifle Association for my record of standing up for freedom and our constitutional rights. The Wisconsin Walleye Initiative is one of our big successes for those who enjoy fishing in our 15,000 inland lakes. We also improved ways to get more young people involved in our hunting and fishing heritage. Standing for Life Protecting the sanctity of life has always been important to me. Tonette and I share a belief in protecting unborn babies as well as those in need all the way through the natural end of life. I am proudly pro-life. As Governor, I’ve had the honor of signing into law several pro-life priorities. We defunded Planned Parenthood and directed the resources to non-controversial women’s health programs. We also require an ultrasound to see an unborn child, and we protect an unborn baby at the time when they can feel pain. We want to make it easier for adoptive parents to provide a great family for children, which is why I have also signed several laws to improve the adoption process. Serving Our Veterans Freedom. Endowed by our Creator. Defined by our Constitution. Defended each and every day by the men and women who proudly wear our uniform. My love for country and public service comes, in part, because of my involvement in the American Legion’s Boys State and Boys Nation programs. I will never forget the Veterans who put on these programs just as I will never forget the men and women who served our country – or their families. We fully restored the Wisconsin GI Bill so that our Veterans and their families can attend a public higher education institution for free. And we do not tax military pensions. Since we designated the Year of the Veteran to focus on employment of our Veterans, we have expanded our efforts. During our time in office, the unemployment rate for Veterans in Wisconsin fell to one of the lowest rates in the country. We will continue to build on our successful efforts to employ more Veterans. We will also continue to strengthen the state facilities for aging Veterans and their families, as well as those with special needs. During my time in office, we opened a new Veterans home in northwestern Wisconsin. Post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic head injuries are major challenges for returning Veterans. We are working with the federal government, local governments and healthcare systems to improve care for our Veterans in these areas. We want every returning Veteran to have a place to call home, a job they want, good health and high quality of life. Keeping Health Care Affordable Wisconsin’s health care system is ranked first in the nation for quality, but costs for hard-working families are rising under Obamacare. This past year alone, health care premiums have skyrocketed 36 percent on average – placing a significant burden on Wisconsin families. After Washington failed to get the job done and repeal Obamacare, we took action to lower premiums for Wisconsin families. By signing our bipartisan Health Care Stability Plan into law, we’re investing $200 million in market-based solutions to help bring down costs. In addition, we are working to guarantee coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions in an effort to provide the care they need, regardless of what happens in Washington. We also requested a permanent waiver for Wisconsin to provide SeniorCare – a program to help make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. Under our plan, Obamacare costs will drop three and half percent in 2019 for Wisconsin families. By enacting a comprehensive plan to provide our families the care they need to live a healthy life, Wisconsin is ahead of the curve. In fact, after embracing a plan similar to ours, Minnesota’s premiums dropped as well. Our efforts to lower premiums, increase choice and provide certainty to seniors and those with preexisting conditions through our Health Care Stability Plan will make health care affordable for Wisconsin families.	”
—Friends of Scott Walker

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of an ad from Walker's 2018 election campaign.

"We're Just Getting Started" - Walker campaign ad, released August 15, 2018

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Scott Walker campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2014	Governor of Wisconsin*	Won	$33,828,934	N/A**
2012	Governor of Wisconsin*	Won	$37,717,808	N/A**
2010	Governor of Wisconsin*	Won	$11,016,186	N/A**
2000	Wisconsin State Assembly	Won	$81,092	N/A**
1998	Wisconsin State Assembly	Won	$33,728	N/A**
Grand total			$82,677,748	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only availabale data.

2016 Republican National Convention

See also: Republican National Convention, 2016

Walker was an at-large delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Wisconsin. Walker was one of 36 delegates from Wisconsin bound by state party rules to support Ted Cruz at the convention. Cruz suspended his campaign on May 3, 2016. At the time, he had approximately 546 bound delegates. For more on what happened to his delegates, see this page.

Delegate rules

See also: RNC delegate guidelines from Wisconsin, 2016 and Republican delegates from Wisconsin, 2016

At-large delegates from Wisconsin to the Republican National Convention were selected by a committee formed by the candidate who received a plurality of the statewide vote in the state presidential primary election and ratified by the State Executive Committee. For district-level delegates, the district chairman of each district compiled a list of delegates from which the presidential candidate who won a plurality of the vote in that district selected three delegates. Delegates from Wisconsin were bound to a candidate on all ballots at the convention unless the candidate released them or failed to receive one-third of the vote on a ballot.

Wisconsin primary results

See also: Presidential election in Wisconsin, 2016

Wisconsin Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Delegates
Ted Cruz	48.2%	531,129	36
Donald Trump	35.1%	386,290	6
John Kasich	14.1%	155,200	0
Jeb Bush	0.3%	3,156	0
Ben Carson	0.5%	5,608	0
Chris Christie	0.1%	1,310	0
Carly Fiorina	0.1%	825	0
Jim Gilmore	0%	242	0
Mike Huckabee	0.1%	1,428	0
Rand Paul	0.2%	2,491	0
Marco Rubio	1%	10,569	0
Rick Santorum	0%	510	0
Other	0.2%	2,288	0
Totals		1,101,046	42
Source: The New York Times and Wisconsin Vote

Delegate allocation

See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

Wisconsin had 42 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 24 were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's eight congressional districts). District delegates were allocated on a winner-take-all basis; the candidate who won a plurality of the vote in a congressional district received all of that district's delegates.

Of the remaining 18 delegates, 15 served at large. Wisconsin's at-large delegates were allocated on a winner-take-all basis. The candidate who won a plurality of the statewide vote received all of the state's at-large delegates. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Noteworthy events

Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

On July 20, 2015, Walker announced that he wanted to eliminate the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. The board was a nonpartisan agency of former judges established by the Wisconsin State Legislature in a January 2007 vote to enforce Wisconsin's state ethics, campaign finance, and election laws. When formed, the board assumed the duties previously held by the State Election Board and the State Ethics Board.

In December 2015, Governor Walker signed a bill that eliminated the Government Accountability Board and overhauled the state's campaign finance laws. The law replaced the board with separate ethics and elections commissions.

Stance on Syrian refugee resettlement

Main article: U.S. governors and their responses to Syrian refugees

After the attacks in Paris, France, on November 13, 2015, many U.S. governors declared their support or opposition to Syrian refugee resettlement in their states. Walker expressed conditional opposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state of Wisconsin. He said:

"	With this in mind, I am calling upon the President to immediately suspend the program pending a full review of its security and acceptance procedures. The State of Wisconsin will not accept new Syrian refugees. There may be those who will try to take advantage of the generosity of our country and the ability to move freely within our borders through this federal resettlement program, and we must ensure we are doing all we can to safeguard the security of Americans.	”
—Gov. Scott Walker

20-week abortion ban

On July 20, 2015, Gov. Walker signed a bill into law banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy in the state of Wisconsin. In doing so, Wisconsin became the 16th state to prohibit most abortions at 20 weeks.

Response to the 2014 illegal immigration surge

See also: 2014 illegal immigration surge

On July 22, 2014, the Republican governors of Alabama, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin sent a letter to President Obama (D) expressing concerns about how the administration was handling the increase in unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border between 2013 and 2014. The governors argued that a failure to return the children to their home countries would “send a message that will encourage a much larger movement towards our southern border. We fear that this will put a significant number of children at risk of abuse and neglect on their journey to the United States.”

September 2013 NYC event

Six of the Republican Party’s leaders and potential 2016 nominees jointly headlined a fundraiser for the Republican National Committee (RNC) in New York in September 2013.

According to an invitation that went out August 26, 2013, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and Jets owner Woody Johnson hosted the event September 23, 2013, at Johnson's home.

It was a dinner and reception with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Senators Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, and Gov. Walker, as well as Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Rep. Paul Ryan, who were listed as special guests.

Job creation ranking

A June 2013 analysis by The Business Journals ranked 45 governors based on the annual private sector growth rate in all 50 states using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Walker was ranked number 40. The five governors omitted from the analysis all assumed office in 2013.

Rejection of Medicaid expansion

Addressing a meeting of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce on February 13, 2013, Walker announced his decision to reject Medicaid expansion through the federal healthcare law.

Under Walker's alternative plan, an enrollment cap on Medicaid programs for childless adults would be lifted, income eligibility for state residents able to use Medicaid programs would be tightened, and thousands of people in such programs would be moved to federal government-run healthcare exchanges, allowing them to purchase private insurance.

Walker stated, "My goal in looking at this is two things: One, I want to have fewer people in the state who are uninsured, but along with that I'd like to have fewer people in the state who are dependent on the government."

Walker became the 14th Republican governor to reject the Medicaid expansion.

Tribal casinos

In 2013, the Seminole and Menominee tribes gained approval from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs for an off-reservation casino in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Walker rejected an $800 million casino project in January 2015. Tribal leaders for the Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Oneida opposed the Kenosha casino project, saying that it would cost their casinos millions of dollars in lost profits. Supporters of the casino project included Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) and Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser, who saw the project as a potential boost to the regional economy.

John Doe investigations

See also: John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker

Two John Doe investigations were launched by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D) into the activities of staff and associates of Gov. Walker.

The first investigation, John Doe I, was launched after Walker aide Darlene Wink noticed funds were missing from the money raised by Operation Freedom, a charitable event for veterans that Walker hosted annually. Walker's office turned the case over to the Milwaukee County DA's office to investigate the missing funds.

On May 5, 2010, Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf asked for the authority to launch a John Doe investigation into the missing funds. He asked for the John Doe to determine where the funds had originated (i.e., sponsors and donors of the Operation Freedom Event). His request was granted by Judge Neal Nettesheim, who had been appointed the John Doe I judge.

During the 2010 gubernatorial campaign, the John Doe investigation was expanded multiple times to include a Walker donor and members of Walker's county executive staff. The homes, offices, and cars of these people were searched, and property, such as computers and cell phones, was seized. The investigation lasted three years and resulted in the convictions of six people, four of whom weren’t related to the missing funds on which the investigation was predicated. The announcement of the charges against the six was made in January 2012, in the midst of an effort to recall Gov. Walker due to his support for Act 10.

On June 5, 2012, the recall election attempting to remove Gov. Walker from office was held. Walker won re-election. In August 2012, the first John Doe investigation was rolled into a second investigation, John Doe II. This investigation was to see if Governor Walker’s campaign had illegally coordinated with conservative social welfare groups that had engaged in issue advocacy during the recall elections.

The second John Doe investigation spanned multiple counties but was consolidated into one investigation, overseen by an appointed judge and one special prosecutor, Francis Schmitz. On October 3, 2013, investigators served search warrants on several homes and subpoenaed records from 29 conservative organizations. On October 25, 2013, three targets of the subpoenas filed a motion to have the subpoenas quashed. The judge overseeing the investigation, Judge Gregory Peterson, granted that motion in January 2014, stating that the prosecutor's theory of criminal activity was not criminal under Wisconsin statutes. Although Schmitz filed an appeal to a higher court, the investigation was effectively stalled.

A series of lawsuits were filed, one against the John Doe prosecutors for a violation of free speech and several others against the agency that oversees campaign finance law, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, for trying to enforce unconstitutional regulations of issue advocacy groups, the regulations on which the prosecutor's theory was based.

The legality of the investigation eventually went before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. On July 16, 2015, the supreme court ruled in a 4-2 decision to halt the John Doe II investigation. The court combined three cases into one, thereby simultaneously ruling on all three. In its ruling, the supreme court criticized Schmitz's handling of the case and declared Chisholm and Schmitz's actions to be violations of the targets' First Amendment rights to political speech.

The supreme court, in interpreting Wisconsin's campaign finance law, ruled that "the definition of 'political purposes' [...] is unconstitutionally overbroad and vague under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 3 of the Wisconsin Constitution because its language 'is so sweeping that its sanctions may be applied to constitutionally protected conduct which the state is not permitted to regulate.'"

The court noted that since issue advocacy is "beyond the reach of Ch. 11," Schmitz's theory of illegal coordination between Walker's campaign and social welfare groups was invalid. The court further declared, "The special prosecutor's legal theory is unsupported in either reason or law," thereby ending the John Doe II investigation.

Regarding the other two cases addressed in the ruling, the court denied Schmitz's supervisory writ and affirmed Peterson's original motion to quash the subpoenas. It also ruled that the John Doe II judges, Peterson and Barbara Kluka before him, had not violated proper procedure by allowing the appointment of one judge and one special prosecutor to preside over a multi-county John Doe.

In its ruling, the court ordered that "everything gathered as potential evidence—including thousands of pages of emails and other documents—be returned and all copies be destroyed."

Commission on Waste, Fraud and Abuse

Walker called for the formation of a Commission on Waste, Fraud and Abuse. The seven-member committee assembled in January 2011, and in July 2011 it identified $266,555,737 in potential annual savings for state agencies.

In their report, commission members said that state agencies had failed to control expenses in the wake of the recession.

“Wisconsin deserves a government that spends its financial resources just as carefully as the citizens of Wisconsin spend their own,” said Craig Rakowski, the commission’s chairman and president of James Craig Builders. “Everyone has been forced to take a closer look at how they spend their money. Our state government should be no different.”

Collective bargaining

See also: Wisconsin Act 10, the "Scott Walker Budget Repair Bill" (2011) and Union protests in Madison, Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker's Budget Repair Bill

One of Walker's early proposals, Wisconsin Assembly Bill 11, the "Scott Walker Budget Repair Bill", was aimed at reducing the ability of government employee unions to engage in collective bargaining. The proposal also called for union members to make contributions to their own medical insurance and retirement savings, of 12.6% and 5.8%, respectively.

The bill was introduced into the state Assembly by the Committee on Assembly Organization, at the request of Walker, on February 15, 2011. It was then referred, successively, to the Joint Committee on Finance and the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems. The Republican-controlled state Assembly and the state Senate were in favor of the bill; their Democratic colleagues took the opposite view. Lacking the numbers to vote the bill down, the entire Wisconsin Senate Democratic contingent refused to vote. Senate Republicans were one short of the 20 members needed to call a quorum and vote on spending bills, meaning the Democrats were able to halt a vote on the bill.

Walker ordered Wisconsin law enforcement to find the senators and compel them to return to the capitol for the vote; the Democratic Senate delegation in response went to a resort across the border in Rockford, Illinois. In a February 17 press conference, Walker pressed lawmakers to return to the state and take a vote. Asked if he thought he had any legal authority to cross state lines and compel Senate Democrats to return to Madison, he told reporters, "That's a really big question for us."

As the first week of protests ended, with Madison and Milwaukee schools having been closed three days, schools sought a temporary restraining order banning teachers from attending protests and thus forcing teachers to report to their jobs; the courts denied the request on Friday, February 18.

Walker and Republican Party members continued to call for cutting collective bargaining rights, with Walker telling media outlets that he was doing exactly what he had promised during his campaign. Walker warned public employees that he would commence layoffs if his bill continued to be stalled.

Senate Republicans identified a way to end collective bargaining without Democratic cooperation. While the Wisconsin Senate must have a quorum to pass spending and fiscal bills, it could separate the collective bargaining from the spending cuts and pass the former item in its own bill.

The Wisconsin Assembly voted for final passage of the bill on March 10, 2011, and Walker signed the bill into law the following day.

Law struck down by district court

Dane County District Judge Maryann Sumi ruled in May 2011 that lawmakers violated Wisconsin's open meetings law in passing the collective bargaining legislation in spring 2011, and therefore, the bill would be null and void. Walker had signed the bill into law, but the ruling overruled it.

Sumi ruled that lawmakers failed to give enough notice for the Joint Committee on Conference meeting held March 9, 2011, during which lawmakers settled on the final version of the collective bargaining bill. The bill required most public union employees to contribute more to their healthcare and pension plans and limited their collective bargaining powers to salary negotiations.

Legislative leaders pledged to pass the legislation again as part of the biennial budget.

Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns lower court ruling

On June 14, 2011, the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the lower court opinion, ruling that Walker’s collective bargaining law was in effect.

The ruling voided Dane County Circuit Court Judge Maryann Sumi’s decision striking down the law.

In its ruling, the state supreme court said that the Dane County Circuit Court had “invaded the legislature’s constitutional powers...under the Wisconsin Constitution” when Sumi issued a temporary restraining order preventing the law from going into effect.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
When he served as governor, Walker and his wife, Tonnette Walker, had two sons. The Walkers resided in Wauwatosa.

Recent news

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Scott Walker (Wisconsin governor) - Google News

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Jim Doyle (D)	Governor of Wisconsin 2011–2019	Succeeded by Tony Evers (D)
Preceded by Janine Geske	Milwaukee County Executive 2002–2010	Succeeded by Lee Holloway
Preceded by David Cullen (D)	Wisconsin State Assembly District 14 1993–2002	Succeeded by Leah Vukmir (R)