"More to be done:" Gov. Walker running for third term, releases campaign video

MADISON -- Governor Scott Walker is running for a third term.

The governor made it official Wednesday, October 18th, with the Friends of Scott Walker releasing a campaign video ahead of a planned November 5th kickoff event.

"I love traveling the state and hearing how the things we're doing are helping but there's more to be done," says Walker in the campaign video.

In the video, Walker promotes his incentives deal with Taiwanese elctronics company Foxconn, increases in K-12 school funding and the University of Wisconsin System tuition freeze.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin blistered Walker's ad as a "revisionist campaign stunt" about his record.

"The problem is, after eight long years, Wisconsin voters just aren't buying it anymore," said Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki.

Zaepecki said Walker and Republicans couldn't pass a budget on time this year, and gave up too much money in the deal with Foxconn. The company stands to get $3 billion from taxpayers, mostly in the form of cash, if it builds a massive plant for its Sharp TV brand and hires 13,000 workers.

Eight Democrats are already running and others may join. The field has no front runner, and Republican strategist Brian Fraley isn't impressed.

"The best thing Scott Walker has going for him isn't the Wisconsin economy, it's the Wisconsin Democratic Party," Fraley said. "There is no one getting traction. There are a lot of people running, and no one advancing."

 

 

Fraley says the big unknown is the mood of voters a year from now, and whether they take out their frustrations about national politics on Republicans like Walker.

"That could be the biggest hurdle and variable that the governor faces, and it's something he can't control. That's what makes politicians nervous," said Fraley.

Zepecki said Walker's ties to President Donald Trump will be at the forefront of the campaign.

"We don't need to see more of in Madison, what we're seeing out of Washington, D.C., every day -- but Governor Walker seems to be indicating that's the model he's going to fllow," Zepecki said.

Walker ends the ad riding on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, turning into the camera to ask "Are you with me?"

Walker's campaign said a kickoff event would be held November 5th at Weldall Manufacturing in Waukesha, with more than a dozen events across the state later that week.