Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is likely to announce his candidacy for governor next Tuesday as he makes various stops around the state.
Although Walker’s cam-paign gave no details on the “special announcement,” he has been rumored to be considering a run for governor for months and his campaign has also been raising money.
Walker previously ran for governor in 2006 but later dropped out to support Republican candidate Mark Green, who eventually lost to Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.
According to Republican Party of Wisconsin spokes-person Kirsten Kukowski, Doyle is harming the state with his fiscal policies and thinks a Republican candidate like Walker would be a better candidate in 2010.
“Unemployment has skyrocketed under Doyle’s watch and is now higher than the national average. It’s clear his proposals to raise taxes and increase government aren’t working to put Wisconsinites back to work,” Kukowski said.
She added the gov-ernor’s budget will expand government and leave the costs up to the taxpayers of the state even while Doyle is asking individuals to “practice fiscal responsibility.”
Alec Loftus, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, disagrees, arguing Walker would be the wrong choice for governor in 2010.
“Scott Walker is a ‘George W. Bush Republican,’ who will do or say anything to get elected. From his constant flip-flopping on accepting stimulus dollars to his miserable running of Milwaukee County, it is clear that Walker would be a disaster for Wisconsin,” Loftus said.
Although Doyle has been raising money for a possible 2010 reelection bid, he has not officially declared his intention to run for governor for a third term.
Walker’s announcement will come one week after James Klauser, administration secretary under former Gov. Tommy Thompson, urged Republican Party members to support former Congressman Mark Neumann for governor in 2010.
In the open letter, Klauser wrote that Neumann understands what Wisconsin needs to do to bring jobs to the state and is also concerned with environmental issues, making him the best candidate for governor.
Walker will be visiting locations across the state next week.
