"I'm going to look forwards:" Gov. Walker breaks silence after leaving presidential race

BEAVER DAM -- Governor Scott Walker on Friday broke four days of silence since quitting the presidential race by refusing to talk about why his campaign failed.

Walker, answering questions from reporters at Apache Stainless Equipment Corp. in Beaver Dam, referred to it as "the campaign I was involved with before."

"Just overall, I'm not going to talk about campaigns," Walker said. "I plan on being governor. I’m not positioning myself for anything else."

Walker declined to endorse one of his former GOP rivals for president, adding that he may eventually do so. He left the door open to becoming on of their running mates -- calling the idea "presumptuous" -- but denied interest in a cabinet position.

"I don't want to be in the Cabinet. I don't know how any more crystal clear I can be on that," Walker said. Later, when asked about a potential U.S. Senate run in 2018, he said he had no interest.

He pledged to serve out his second term and said it's too early to think about running for a third term in 2018.

Walker's approval rating has sunk to 39 percent in Wisconsin, according to the latest Marquette Law School Poll. He pledged to prove him commitment to the state.

"I think all of us know in relationships, you can say all you want, but the best case to make that point is to be there," Walker said.

Walker told FOX6 News that his suspended campaign would pay back the state for security he got during the presidential race. Yet the governor said he didn't know how much he owed.

"We've already made payments along the way. That'll be top on the list in terms of payments," said Walker.

When asked to address supporters of his presidential campaign about why he decided to exit the race, Walker declined.

"Our state motto is 'forward.' I'm going to talk about what's forwards, not backwards," Walker said.

The governor said he would wait until after state Supreme Court Justice Patrick Crooks' funeral Saturday before discussing whether he would appoint a replacement.

Walker also defended a GOP-backed overhaul to Wisconsin's civil service law.

Republicans are hoping to make it easier for the state to hire and fire workers, but Democrats fear that the legislation will gut century-old civil service protections.

Walker in 2011 said during the Act 10 battle that state workers would keep their civil service protections, if not their unions. Friday, he said he was not going back on that word.

"The civil service protections that are at the heart of the principle are fully intact," he said.