As he presides over a state that’s seen signs of a blue wave headed its way, Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis., is looking to raise the stakes.
Walker, who’s up for re-election this November, will “lay out the foundation” underpinning his agenda for the next four years at Wisconsin’s GOP convention this weekend, according to excerpts of the governor’s remarks shared with the Washington Examiner. Dubbed “Wisconsin Wins the 21st Century,” Walker’s plan will involve efforts to improve workforce participation and high school graduation rates, tackle the opioid epidemic, and reduce taxes.
But to keep his administration in a position to implement that agenda, Walker will again caution Republicans they need to be realistic about the challenges facing the party this cycle.
His prepared remarks reflect a deep sense of concern about the GOP’s chances in November, painting a bleak picture of what could come to pass if Republicans don’t mobilize to close an emergent enthusiasm gap. “In Wisconsin, we make big, bold promises and then we keep them. We’ve shown the world that common-sense, conservative reforms work,” Walker plans to say. “But that could all go away in one election.”
The two-term governor has not hesitated this year to offer realistic prognostications amid some surprising election results in the Badger State. Walker will flesh those thoughts out more fully in his address to the party faithfuls gathered in downtown Milwaukee this weekend. “The far Left knows what is at stake,” he’ll insist. “That’s why Obama’s Attorney General Eric Holder is here laying the groundwork for the fall elections. It’s why liberal billionaires Tom Steyer and George Soros are focused on Wisconsin. It’s why the big government union bosses and the Washington-based liberal special interest groups have made us — yet again — one of the top targets in America.”
“They know what’s at stake in this election. We need to wake up,” Walker plans to tell convention attendees. “This election is going to be tougher than any we’ve faced so far — and the consequences are greater than ever.”
Those are tough words coming from the man who survived both a bitter recall battle and contentious re-election. Though Walker’s future in Madison is on the line next November, Democrats have struggled amid a crowded field of primary candidates with low name recognition.
The governor will address the convention, where activists will also be deciding whether to endorse a candidate in the GOP’s heated Senate primary, on Saturday morning.
