Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has said he is "seriously" considering joining what will likely be a crowded Republican field of candidates running for president in 2016.
And there are compelling reasons why Walker — subject of Newsmax magazine's February cover story — would make a good GOP candidate:
1. He wins elections. Walker won three tough races in blue state Wisconsin within four years: His election as governor in 2010, his victory in the recall election in 2012 — despite the millions of dollars spent by unions to defeat him — and his re-election by nearly 6 percentage points in 2014.
Urgent: Do You Support Scott Walker for the GOP Nomination? Vote Here Now
2. He's a fiscal hawk. Walker showed his financial chops in his determination to cut the state budget and rein in public-employee unions, efforts that ultimately led to the recall vote.
3. His economic policies have been a success. Walker has reduced unemployment in his state and erased a budget deficit that stood at some $3.6 billion when he took office.
4. He's a governor. Many GOP strategists anticipate that voters will be suffering from buyer's remorse for putting a first-term senator in the White House, and expect Republicans to nominate a governor for president this cycle. That gives Walker an edge over several potential GOP candidates, including Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.
5. He has broad support among Republicans. Walker is admired by grass-roots activists as well as mainline party insiders, and he is viewed as the candidate who could unite the two disparate wings of the party next year.
6. He has won in a Blue State three times. He's shown he can reach across the aisle, a trait that will be attractive to voters after eight years of partisan warfare between a Democratic president and Republicans in Congress. The day after he won the recall election, Walker invited his state's Democratic legislators to the governor's mansion for beer and brats, telling them to bring their wives and urging, "Let's find something we can agree on."
7. He can win votes from independents. He carried the independent vote by 11 percent in 2014 in an election with one of the highest voter turnouts in Wisconsin in decades.
8. He's from the Midwest, a region where Republicans need to improve at the polls. Obama not only won Wisconsin in 2012, but also Iowa — where Walker spent much of his childhood — Minnesota, and Illinois with their 46 total electoral votes, not to mention Michigan and Ohio.
Urgent: Who Should the GOP Nominate in 2016? Vote Here Now
9. He is an excellent speaker. Walker talks fluidly without notes and has proven himself a skilled debater who can think on his feet. His address at the Iowa Freedom Summit on Jan. 24 made a huge impression.
10. He has considerable political experience. Before becoming governor, Walker served four terms in the state assembly and more than eight years as Executive of Milwaukee County.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.