Will he run? Governor Walker makes moves that signal a potential bid for the White House

MADISON (WITI) -- There was a joke after the November mid-term elections with someone asking "When does the 2016 presidential campaign start?" The answer: "Five minutes ago!" That's where we are now. The race has begun, and all indications show Governor Scott Walker is gearing up for a presidential run. Last week, Walker made two big announcements that hint at a potential bid for the White House.

Less than a week after he was sworn in for his second term as governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker has signaled he has his sights set on a bigger stage.

"We wanted someone we could trust who had national experience," Governor Walker said.

Governor Walker has confirmed he has hired Rick Wiley -- a former Republican National Committee political director and a former Wisconsin Republican Party staff member.

Riley will be a senior advisor and he'll begin to assemble a team for a potential Walker presidential run.

"If I were to run, I wouldn't run just for the sake of running. I would run because I thought I had something unique to offer the American people, and I could do good for this country and I'd run with the full intention of winning," Governor Walker said.

"You have to organize, get a campaign manager, an advertising manager, a fundraising manager, start meeting with people to raise money, start recruiting volunteers, start recruiting precinct captains, all of that is behind-the-scenes, but you can't do that 30 days before the Iowa caucuses. You've got to build up to it. It takes about a year to put together that kind of organization," UW-Milwaukee Professor of Governmental Affairs Mordecai Lee said.

Walker says he'll make a trip to an event in Iowa later this month, where other possible presidential contenders will be speaking.

"It's one where there'll be -- if I'm serious about this -- there will be plenty of trips to Iowa and plenty of other states out there to share our vision, talk about what we've done in Wisconsin and see if it matches the interest of the people in Iowa and other states," Governor Walker said.

It's not just reporters asking about Walker's presidential plans. He was speaking to a group of bankers about the Wisconsin economy this past week, and one of them asked him about a potential run for the White House.

"It's not something you should want to do because of the title. It's not something you should want to be because it's the next logical step, or the next spot to go to, or something in that regard. I think it's only something you should do if you feel called to do it," Governor Walker said.

Walker says he'll make a decision on a presidential run only after the state budget process is completed this summer.

Walker has told reporters he hasn't yet decided, but he says it's something he's praying about.

"I think Governor Walker is a very strong candidate for the Republican nomination because he's got a secret ingredient. He's got a secret sauce. He puts a gentle face on the Tea Party," Lee said.

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