The recent title of a New York Times article, “Democrats want to Beat Scott Walker. But the Wisconsin Economy Is a Hurdle,” perfectly sums up the gubernatorial election in Wisconsin. While Democrats are struggling to combat Gov. Scott Walker’s 8 years of positive reform, Walker continues to look forward to policies that will keep strengthening Wisconsin. The state’s economy has grown exponentially over the past 8 years. Economic indicators such as the lowest unemployment rate in state history and rising wages that have outpaced national wage growth, make it difficult to support Tony Evers, who would take Wisconsin backward and put Wisconsin’s comeback in jeopardy.

Walker has taken care of Wisconsin’s hard-working families, cutting taxes by $8 billion for since he took office. For the first time since 1931, there is no state property tax. Evers is on record as saying “everything is on the table” when it comes to taxes, and still hasn’t given voters any specifics on just how much he will raise taxes by. Wisconsin simply can’t afford increases in taxes and spending, and it’s incredibly concerning that Evers refuses to reveal how much he will tax Wisconsin families.

Walker stays loyal to party platform, despite criticism from former cabinet members

Tony Evers has also claimed that Wisconsin’s priorities have been “out of whack” under Governor Walker. Saying this completely disregards Walker’s track record of prioritizing Wisconsin schools, families and communities.

Walker has made more actual dollar investments in K-12 classrooms than ever before, including a historic $11.5 billion in state funding for K-12 education. He also increased Sparsity Aid for Wisconsin’s rural schools. Scott Walker cares about Wisconsin’s students, which is why he wants to expand youth apprenticeship programs to middle school students, helping them prepare for success. Walker’s record and educational statistics, such as Wisconsin currently being in the top ten states for high school graduation rates in the country and having the highest average ACT score for those states that require 100% of students to take the test, proves that Wisconsin’s priorities under Governor Walker have been the opposite of “out of whack.”

Under previous democratic leadership, tuition for the UW system had risen by 118% over a decade. Upon taking office, Walker froze UW tuition for in-state students for 6 years. This tuition freeze has helped the average UW student save over $6,300. Walker plans to freeze tuition for another 4 years, continuing to make college more affordable for students. Walker has also proposed a tax credit of up to $1,000 per year for 5 years for college graduates who live and work in Wisconsin, giving them incentive to stay in the state.

Walker unveils more details for student debt relief proposal

Evers, as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, was recently caught plagiarizing sections of his budget plans. Schools, colleges and universities hold students to high standards in terms of academic integrity.  The State Superintendent should be held to the same, if not higher, standards. He even admitted plagiarism occurred, yet has no plans to discipline the staff involved.

As State Superintendent, Evers also refused to revoke the license of a middle school teacher caught watching pornography in the classroom, highlighting his weak leadership. If he won’t revoke teacher licenses for bad behavior and plagiarizes important proposals, how can we trust Evers to lead Wisconsin?

During his 8 years in office, Walker has proven himself as an exceptional leader. His bold, conservative reforms have sparked Wisconsin’s comeback. If elected for a third term, Scott Walker will ensure Wisconsin keeps working. He also wants to help make child care affordable by providing a tax credit for working families. He has a goal of helping seniors stay in their homes, reducing student loan debt and connecting students to careers.

Low academic proficiency scores show Evers failed Wisconsin students

Walker needs your support to keep moving Wisconsin forward. His track record speaks for itself, brightening the future of Wisconsin. For more information on Walker, visit his website, and for information on voting, go to myvote.wi.gov. Every vote counts.

Kennedy Borman is a senior studying political science. She is also the Vice Chair of College Republicans.