Coming off his successful re-election as governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker is preparing to launch a campaign for president in 2016 because, he says, there will be "a hunger for a leader who can actually get things done," reports
Politico.
“I think there’s going to be a hunger for a leader who can actually can get things done," Walker told Politico.
While the interview is the closest Walker has come to formally committing to running for president, he has seemed more certain about running since winning re-election in November.
Walker told
The Associated Press on Tuesday, "My personal process is I have to feel like it's a calling, particularly for the time and the effort and the impact it has on family and friends."
But, he added, his priority is to "make sure that the state's performing at the best possible level to even be considered as a candidate." Walker spoke with the AP in Florida, where he was attending the Republican Governors Association meeting.
In several interviews he has given since defeating Democratic challenger Mary Burke in November, Walker has indicated that any decision "will have to wait long after" the
state Legislature approves a budget, which usually occurs in the early summer.
He was more specific in his Politico interview, saying that the decision "could be midsummer" after he fulfills the "important responsibilities" of passing a budget.
He and his aides disclosed plans to roll out a "blueprint for conservative governance" in late January and then formalize it after the legislative session concludes.
Walker can afford to concentrate on the business of governing because his supporters can move ahead with the logistical details of setting up an exploratory committee.
"My sense is that postelection he gets down to the business of taking care of Wisconsin. If there are others out there who think he is presidential timber, they will go about the business of taking care of whatever they need to do as the sweepstakes warm up," Wisconsin Republican strategist Brandon Scholz told the AP.
In addition to making several trips to Iowa and New Hampshire in recent months, Walker, the son of a preacher, has sought to place distance between himself and other GOP presidential prospects, namely those who have or are serving in Congress.
"You've got to look at what are my important responsibilities because unlike someone in any other position, unlike someone in the Congress or the Senate or any other elected position or former elected position out there, my leadership in the state is both a strength and potentially a liability," Walker said.
According to
RealClearPolitics average of recent polls, Walker trails most of the Republican field with 4.4 percent of the GOP primary vote. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush lead the pack, with 11.8 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively.
Like other Republicans eyeing the White House, Walker also has targeted Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
"I think the biggest loser (in the midterms) was Hillary Clinton," Walker told Fox 6 on Sunday.
"She embodies Washington. She embodies that old, tired top-down approach from the government. I think in the states as governors, we offer a much better alternative, and I think there's a number of us who would be good prospects out there."
Watch the video here.
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