Elections 2006 gubernatorial campaign While county executive, Walker became a candidate, in February 2005, in the 2006 race for Wisconsin governor. He dropped out on March 24, 2006, after about 14 months of campaigning, citing fundraising difficulties. Walker won the Wisconsin GOP convention endorsement on May 22, 2010, receiving 91% of the votes cast by delegates. He won the Republican nomination in the
primary election of September 14, 2010, receiving 59% of the popular vote, while former U.S. Representative
Mark Neumann garnered 39%. Walker indicated he would refuse an $810 million award from the federal
Department of Transportation to build a high speed railroad line from Madison to Milwaukee as he believed it would cost the state $7.5 million per year to operate and would not prove profitable. The award was later rescinded and split among other states. Social issues played a part in the campaign. Walker has stated that he is "100% pro-life" and that he believes life should be protected from conception to natural death. Walker said he would sign an
Arizona-style immigration bill, which would allow local police to stop suspected illegal immigrants, if he were elected. On November 2, 2010, his 43rd birthday, Walker won the general election with 52% of total votes cast, while Democrat
Tom Barrett received 46%.
2012 recall election After the contentious
collective bargaining dispute, Walker's disapproval ratings varied between 50% and 51% while his approval ratings varied between 47% and 49% in 2011. The effort to
recall Walker officially began on November 15, 2011. Walker reportedly raised more than $30 million during the recall effort, with a significant portion from out of state. Commentators claimed the amount of money raised was "illustrating the national significance both political parties saw in the recall fight". In March 2012, the
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board announced there were more than 900,000 valid signatures to force a recall vote, well above the required minimum of 540,208. In February 2012, Walker's campaign requested additional time for the petition signatures to be verified, claiming about 20% of the signatures were not valid. Democrats argued that even if 20% of the signatures were disregarded they still had obtained 180,000 more signatures than required to initiate the recall. Wisconsin Democratic Party Communications Director Graeme Zielinski claimed Walker was "delaying the inevitable". On February 17, 2012, Dane County Judge Richard Niess, who had signed the recall petition, denied Walker's request for additional time. On March 30, 2012, the Government Accountability Board unanimously ruled in favor of the recall election. The recall elections for both Walker and Kleefisch took place on June 5, 2012. During the Republican primary election for the recall, Walker received 626,538 votes. In the Democratic primary, all of the Democratic candidates combined received 670,288, with the winner, Tom Barrett, receiving 390,109, a majority. On June 5, 2012, Walker won the recall election. This was only the third gubernatorial recall election in U.S. history. Walker won the recall, his second face-off with Barrett, by a slightly larger margin (53% to 46%) than in the 2010 election (52% to 46%) and became the first
U.S. governor to win a recall election. By the end of the recall election, Walker had a national network of conservative donors and groups supporting him. Nearly 300,000 people donated to his recall campaign, which garnered roughly $37 million. Two-thirds of the contributions came from outside Wisconsin. Walker, or the conservative causes he supports, are also supported by conservative donors and groups including
Michael W. Grebe,
Diane Hendricks, and the
Bradley Foundation, founder of the
Wisconsin Policy Research Institute and the
MacIver Institute; and
David H. Koch and
Charles Koch, initial funders of
Americans for Prosperity.
2014 gubernatorial campaign In his third election in four years, Walker faced Democrat
Mary Burke to determine the governor of Wisconsin. Wisconsin labor unions, who helped organize the 2012 Wisconsin recall election, donated funds to boost Burke's campaign. Walker received help from a number of conservative donors. The polling through most of the race was close and no candidate was a definitive favorite. The gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, and Walker won re-election by 6 percent of the vote.
2018 gubernatorial campaign Walker sought a third term in the 2018 elections. His opponent, Democratic Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, defeated him in the election by 1%.
Tenure Walker took the oath of office to become the 45th Governor of Wisconsin on January 3, 2011. Walker became a figure of national recognition and controversy after he proposed the "
Wisconsin budget repair bill" in 2011. The bill, which would eventually be passed by the
Wisconsin Legislature, significantly changed the
collective bargaining process for most public employees in Wisconsin. Opponents of Walker's actions launched a push for a recall election and received enough support to force
an election on June 5, 2012, the first time a Governor of Wisconsin had ever faced recall. During Walker's first term as governor, the state's $3.6 billion budget deficit was turned into a surplus and taxes were cut by $2 billion. More than 100,000 jobs were created in the state of Wisconsin.
2011 Budget Repair Bill Walker proposed the
Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill on February 11, 2011, estimated to save Wisconsin $30 million in the current fiscal year and $300 million over the next two years. After videotape of the interaction was released in May 2012, Walker's opponents said Walker had revealed his intention to target private sector unions and pursue right-to-work legislation. Walker said he was not pursuing right-to-work legislation and that in his 2011 comment to Hendricks he was referring to his responsibility as governor to defend taxpayers from unions that he believed were frustrating resolution of the state's budget deficit. In announcing the proposed legislation, Walker said the
Wisconsin National Guard and other state agencies were prepared to prevent disruptions in state services. During the sixth day of the protests, leaders of the two largest unions said publicly they were prepared to accept the financial concessions in the bill, but would not agree to the limitations of collective bargaining rights. On February 17, 2011, all 14 Democratic state senators traveled to
Illinois to prevent the passage of the bill by depriving the Senate of the
quorum necessary for a vote. Protestors also covered the walls of the Capitol with thousands of homemade signs. On February 20, a union organizer participating in the protests said that the protests would continue "as long as it takes." Other union leaders called for teachers to return to work. Appearing on
Meet the Press on February 27, Walker stated that he did not believe the unions were negotiating in good faith in offering pension and health-care concessions because local unions had recently pushed through contracts with school boards and city councils that did not include contributions to the pensions and health care and that, in one case, a contract even included a pay increase. After failing to reach a compromise with Democratic legislators, the Republican-led Senate removed certain fiscal provisions from the bill, allowing it to be passed without the usual quorum requirement. The Wisconsin Assembly passed the bill one day later by a vote of 53–42. After the Assembly passed the bill, Walker released a statement in which he "applaud[ed] all members of the Assembly for showing up, debating the legislation and participating in democracy". Walker signed the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill into law on March 11, 2011. On March 12, the fourteen Democratic senators who had left the state returned. The Budget Repair Law was challenged in court. On March 18, Judge Maryann Sumi issued a court order to prohibit publication of the bill by the Secretary of State while legal challenges to it were being considered. On March 26, the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) published the bill. Sumi subsequently clarified that, pursuant to her order, the bill could not be considered to be published until the court challenge was resolved. On May 26, Judge Sumi struck down the law, finding that its passage violated state open meetings laws. The
Wisconsin Supreme Court reversed Sumi's ruling and upheld the law on June 14, 2011. Walker claimed that the Budget Repair Law would "save jobs, protect taxpayers, reform government and help balance the budget." He added, "You see, despite a lot of the rhetoric we've heard over the past 11 days the bill I put forward isn't aimed at state workers, and it certainly isn't a battle with unions. If it was, we would have eliminated collective bargaining entirely or we would have gone after the private-sector unions." As part of the cost savings resulting from the changes to collective bargaining, Walker pointed to significant reductions in the premiums for health insurance for many school districts. Prior to the deficit reduction bill, WEA Trust, which is affiliated with Wisconsin's largest teachers union, dominated the market for health insurance for the state's school districts. The changes to collective bargaining made it easier for school districts to change health insurance providers and negotiate better premiums. Walker claimed that Wisconsin school districts have saved an estimated $30 million as a result of the change.
John Doe campaign finance investigation In August 2012, the first investigation, which had been launched by
John Chisholm, Milwaukee County District Attorney, a Democrat, into missing funds, was rolled into a second
John Doe probe based on a theory that Governor Walker's campaign had illegally coordinated with conservative groups engaged in issue advocacy during the recall elections. The initial John Doe judge, retired Kenosha County Circuit Judge Barbara A. Kluka, overseeing the John Doe investigation issued 30 subpoenas and 5 search warrants. She also issued a secrecy order which meant those being investigated were legally bound from discussing any facet of the investigation publicly. On October 29, 2013, she
recused herself from the investigation without explanation. Kluka's replacement, Judge Gregory Peterson, quashed several subpoenas in January 2014, saying "there was no probable cause shown that they violated campaign finance laws". On July 16, 2015, the
Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4–2 that Walker did not illegally collaborate with conservative groups during the recall campaigns. Writing for the majority in the case, Justice Michael Gableman stated: "To be clear, this conclusion ends the John Doe investigation because the special prosecutor's legal theory is unsupported in either reason or law," he said, "Consequently, the investigation is closed." In March 2017, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against the investigators of the case.
2011–2013 budget proposal Wisconsin faced an anticipated deficit of approximately $3.6 billion in the 2012–2013 budget cycle which must be balanced according to state law. Walker's proposed budget cut $834 million in state aid for K–12 education, which would be a 7.9% reduction from the prior budget. He proposed a 5.5% decrease in the maximum amount of funding school districts can receive from state aid and property taxes, which would limit how much property taxes could be increased to compensate for the reduction in state aid. The budget lowered state capital gains taxes for investments in Wisconsin businesses. It increased spending on health care by $1.3 billion to cover increased costs for
Medicaid, and increased transportation funding by $410.5 million.
2013–2015 budget proposal Walker's proposed budget for fiscal 2013–2015 froze spending on public schools and tightened the income requirements for Medicaid recipients. It proposed an increase in funding for fighting domestic violence, mental health care, higher education, and job training. It also included a $343 million cut in income taxes and an expansion of the state's school voucher program.
2015–2017 budget proposal Walker's proposed budget for fiscal 2015–2017 included a $300 million cut to the
University of Wisconsin System, while holding funding flat for K–12 public schools and continuing to expand the school voucher program. It included a plan to borrow $1.3 billion to fund improvements to roads and infrastructure, and proposed drug testing for recipients of public benefits like Medicaid and food stamps.
Domestic partner registry defense On May 13, 2011, the Walker administration petitioned the Dane County Circuit Court for permission to withdraw the state as a defendant from
Appling v. Doyle, which was a challenge to the state's
domestic partner registry.
Regulatory reform bill On May 23, 2011, Walker signed legislation changing the process of creating administrative rules for the state. This measure, which became 2011 Wisconsin Act 21 (and became effective June 8, 2011), changes State agency authority to promulgate rules, provides for gubernatorial approval of proposed rules, revised the requirement of an economic impact analysis for proposed rules and changes venue in the process of judicial review of agency rules.
Voter ID law On May 25, 2011, Walker signed a
voter ID law that required voters to show a government-issued ID before casting a ballot. The
ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal court to invalidate the law on December 13, 2011, claiming the law violates the constitutional guarantee of
equal protection under the law. On April 29, 2014, U.S. District Judge
Lynn Adelman struck down the law, saying it violated the
Voting Rights Act and
U.S. Constitution. The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the voter ID law under the
Constitution of Wisconsin in two other cases in July 2014. On September 12, the
7th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the law to be put into effect just 54 days before the 2014 elections, overturning a previous ruling in federal court. On October 9, 2014, the state was again barred from implementing the voter ID law for 2014 by the
U.S. Supreme Court. On March 23, 2015, the Supreme Court denied writ of certiorari, thus ruling in favor of the state of Wisconsin's new stricter voter ID law.
Rejection of health care funds In January 2012, Walker returned a $37.6 million federal grant meant to set up a health exchange in Wisconsin for the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Education On April 2, 2012, Walker signed a law to fund evaluation of the reading skills of kindergartners as part of an initiative to ensure that students are reading at or above grade level by 3rd grade. The law also created a system for evaluating teachers and principals based in part on the performance of their students. It specified that student performance metrics must be based on objective measures, including their performance on
standardized tests. Walker approved a two-year freeze of tuition at the University of Wisconsin System in the 2013 budget. In 2014, he proposed a two-year extension of the freeze based on expected cash balances for the system in excess of $1 billion. On February 3, 2015, Walker delivered a budget proposal to the Wisconsin Legislature, in which he recommended placing the
University of Wisconsin System under the direction of a "private authority", governed by the Board of Regents (all the governor's appointees). The budget proposal called for a 13% reduction in state funding for the university system. The budget proposal also called for re-writing the
Wisconsin Idea, replacing the university's fundamental commitment to the "search for truth" with the goal of
workforce readiness. Walker faced broad criticism for the changes and at first blamed the rewriting of the Wisconsin Idea on a "drafting error."
Politifact and the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel later reported that Walker's administration had insisted to University of Wisconsin officials on scrapping the Wisconsin Idea, the guiding principle for the state's universities for more than a century. Walker then acknowledged that UW System officials had raised objections about the proposal and had been told the changes were not open to debate.
Indian gaming Section 20(b)(1)(A) of the
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) gives governors unrestricted authority to approve or veto any off-reservation tribal casino located in their state. Walker has said he would only approve new off-reservation casino projects if they are supported by every tribe in the state. This has been referred to as the "Walker Rule".
Mental health Walker signed a 2013–2015 state budget and subsequent law that established the
Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health. In 2016, Walker signed legislation creating a pair of pilot programs to test alternative-care delivery and payment models for Medicaid recipients who have significant or chronic mental illness. In 2017, Walker expanded Wisconsin's mental health provider rates by $17 million. Walker also signed legislation increasing funding for peer-run respite centers. Following the
Slender Man stabbing months earlier, Walker issued a proclamation declaring Wednesday, August 13, 2014, "Purple Hearts for Healing Day", and encouraged the people of Wisconsin to wear purple to honor the victim of the stabbing. He also praised the "strength and determination" exhibited by the victim during her recovery.
Abortion Walker signed the 2011 state budget that de-funded
Planned Parenthood. In 2013, Walker signed a bill that requires women seeking abortions to undergo an
ultrasound and doctors to show the patients the image of the fetus. In 2013, Walker signed a bill requiring abortion providers in Wisconsin to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. The law was found unconstitutional by the
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in 2015. The court found the medical justifications for such restrictions "nonexistent" and said they "cannot be taken seriously as a measure to improve women's health." In June 2016, the
Supreme Court of the United States ruled on ''
Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt'', and struck down admitting privileges and other similar restrictions, finding that they were an unconstitutional "undue burden" on women. The day after delivering this decision, the Court refused to hear the Walker administration's appeal of the Seventh Circuit decision, leaving its finding of unconstitutionality in place. Walker blamed an "activist court" for finding his law unconstitutional. On July 20, 2015, Walker signed a bill into law that banned all abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy, "except when the life of the mother is in immediate danger."
Right to work legislation In 2012, regarding
right-to-work legislation, Walker told reporters at the state Republican Party convention that "It's not going to get to my desk. ... I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure it isn't there because my focal point (is) private sector
unions have overwhelmingly come to the table to be my partner in economic development." While campaigning for re-election in 2014, Walker again said he had no plans to pursue right-to-work legislation focused on private unions. On March 9, 2015, Walker signed legislation making Wisconsin a right-to-work state. The law applied to private employee unions as well as public. Once signed, Walker claimed partial credit for the right-to-work law. Following a protracted legal battle, in 2017 the U.S. appeals court in Chicago upheld Wisconsin's right-to-work law ending the substantive legal challenges to the law.
WEDC In 2011, the WEDC was created by Walker as a quasi-public entity to replace the state's
Department of Commerce with the objective of incenting job creation in Wisconsin. A 2013 report from the state's Legislative Audit Committee indicated that the organization gave some "grants, loans, and tax credits to ineligible recipients, for ineligible projects, and for amounts that exceeded specified limits." It also reported that WEDC "did not consistently perform statutorily required program oversight duties such as monitoring the contractually specified performance of award recipients". According to Wisconsin Public Radio, "The agency has been plagued by mismanagement and questions about handing out loans without properly vetting recipients." In June 2015, it was reported that under Walker, WEDC gave out $124 million between the years 2011 and 2013 without formal review. Based on the 27 awards during that period, 2,100 jobs had been created to date out of a total expected of 6,100. $62.5 million was awarded to
Kohl's to create 3,000 jobs as part of a headquarters expansion but only 473 had been created, $18 million was awarded to
Kestrel Aircraft which was supposed to create 665 jobs but only created 24, and $15 million went to Plexus Corp. to create 350 jobs, but created zero. In July 2013, WEDC adopted a new policy requiring written reviews on all program awards. According to WEDC, it had approved more than 760 reviewed awards under the new policy by June 2015. Walker introduced a state budget in February 2015 which removed all of the elected officials from the board. This included removing himself from chairmanship of WEDC. This was revised by the Legislature's budget committee who altered it to only remove Walker. Walker signed the budget in July 2015. Foxconn said in return that it would set up a $10 billion factory that initially employed 3,000 (set to increase to 13,000). Numerous economists expressed skepticism that the benefits would exceed the costs of the deal. The nonpartisan Wisconsin's Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimated that the Foxconn plant would not break even on the investment until 2043, and that was in the best-case scenario. Others noted that Foxconn had previously made similar unfulfilled claims about job creation in various localities. The plant was estimated to contribute significantly to air pollution in the region. Environmentalists criticized the decision to allow Foxconn to draw 7 million gallons of water per day from
Lake Michigan. The Wisconsin state legislature granted Foxconn special legal privileges within the Wisconsin judicial system. In December 2018, Walker signed legislation to strip powers from the incoming Democratic administration. The incoming administration suggested it would challenge the legislation in court. In 2010, Walker had expressed opposition to attempts to pass legislation during the lame-duck session before he took office as governor.
Assessments of tenure In 2019, the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel described Walker as a polarizing governor, writing that while "his personality wasn't divisive... his leadership was polarizing in several ways. One was simply his successful pursuit of aggressively conservative policies, which excited his supporters and angered his opponents. A second was the 'shock and awe' factor. His defining early accomplishmentall but ending collective bargaining for public-sector unionswas not a policy he campaigned on in 2010. It was a post-election bombshell... A third factor was a systematic project by the governor and GOP lawmakers to make it more difficult for Democrats to win elections or exercise power by tilting the political playing field." ==2016 presidential campaign==