Gov. Scott Walker is widely expected to announce his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination this summer after the state Legislature passes its biennial budget.
Walker has spent much of this year campaigning in early primary states including Iowa and New Hampshire. He has already conducted political and economic trips to England, Israel, Western Europe and has a trip to Canada planned for later this month.
Many Republicans have pledged their support to Walker even though he hasn’t made a formal announcement. A Marquette University Law School Poll in April found Walker leading other Republican contenders in his home state, but trailing declared Democrat Hillary Clinton by nine points in a speculative matchup.
In the same month, staffers from Walker’s previous successful elections launched a political action committee backing the governor called Unintimidated PAC.
Walker said June 11 in Utah he would be open to a Walker-Rubio ticket if he did enter the race. Walker said he liked Rubio’s ideas on foreign policy and national defense, Bloomberg news reported.
Walker has said he will announce whether he will run after he signs a state budget, which is taking longer than many legislators in his party had hoped. While much of it has been written by the state’s budget-writing committee, the legislature must finalize proposals for the Department of Transportation and Walker’s recently announced proposal for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena before the Legislature may vote on it in full.
Both houses of the state Legislature must vote on the budget before Walker can review it and veto any provisions before signing it.
