With speculations on who will run for president in 2016 already underway, Gov. Scott Walker said Friday he might be interested in becoming a candidate and will not rule out the possibility of his own run.
Walker told Politico that if he is re-elected as governor, he would not commit himself to a second four-year team. He added he may “possibly” be interested in courting the position and is “not ruling it out.”
“For me, it’s really a measure of what I’ve accomplished and what more I could accomplish if I was in a different position,” Walker said.
According to a collaborative Washington Times and Conservative Political Action Conference 2013 Straw Poll, Walker was the sixth-most-popular Republican candidate for president at the conference. He captured support from five percent of the nearly 3,000 CPAC registrants surveyed, placing him just behind U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville.
Still, Walker de-emphasized his potential run for the White House, telling the Associated Press he loves being governor and is not running for any other job. He told the AP in February the presidential bid “would be an option,” while he is not “actively pursuing” it.
University of Wisconsin political science professor Barry Burden said the governor’s wavering approach of avoiding commitment is exactly the path he should take.
“He’s saying all the right things,” Burden said. “This is what you have to do. He has another election here coming up in a little more than year and a half. If he doesn’t win that, I think the presidency is completely off the table.”
Burden said Walker is remaining uncommitted in his White House ambitions because he would not want to send the message to Wisconsin voters he is looking past his gubernatorial re-election. Walker must instead maintain a “one game at a time” approach, Burden added.
The 2014 gubernatorial election could present problems for Walker, according to Burden. Wisconsin’s economy is not thriving, especially in terms of his original election campaign pledge to help the state add 250,000 private sector jobs during his first term in office, Burden said.
“On job creation, we’re not doing well. It’s not a lack of trying,” Burden said, recognizing the governor has introduced tax cuts, a venture capital bill to spur emerging entrepreneurs, an economic development corporation and a mining bill. “He can point to these efforts, but in terms of outcomes, there’s nothing much.”
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Mike Tate said in a statement it is shocking Walker would consider running for president after pursing such “failed policies” in Wisconsin. Tate added Walker’s contemplation of vying for the position reveals the “dire state” of the party.
“It says something about this Republican Party that the best they can do is a governor whose failed policies have caused his state to plummet to 42nd in the nation in job growth and last in the Midwest in every economic indicator,” Tate said.
UW political science professor David Canon said it is no surprise Walker has entertained these offers to run for President, as he has been one of the favorites of the right wing Republican Party since he was elected governor.
However, with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus announcing Monday a platform to save the party by moving more to the center, some might say Walker’s conservative stance may not be the answer, according to Canon.
“His biggest challenge would be appealing to the moderate voters,” Canon said.
-The Associated Press contributed to this report.
