Gov. Walker Talks Kindly of Christie, GOP Efforts in Wisc. Race

(Darren Hauck/Getty Images)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Tuesday, 28 October 2014 11:13 AM EDT

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Monday pulled back from statements he made about the lack of support he's gotten in his re-election campaign from the Republican Governors Association and its chairman, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a potential rival for the 2016 GOP nomination.

Earlier Monday, Walker had complained during a morning campaign stop in Mayville that the outside spending for his race "pales" compared to Democrats' efforts to defeat him, reports Politico, and he downplayed an upcoming visit from Christie.

"He asked if he could come and we weren't going to say no," Walker told reporters.

But a few hours later, while speaking to reporters in Milwaukee, Walker called Christie a "good friend" and said he respects the governor's association, or RGA.

"When I complain about the national groups that come in, I by no means am complaining about the RGA,” Walker said. “Gov. Christie’s a good friend. He’s the only person I’m campaigning with this week who’s not from Wisconsin, and that’s because he’s a friend and he asked if he could come to the state and campaign.”

He did say, though, that Democrats have outspent him, a claim his opponent and some Republicans deny, but he does not blame the RGA.

The former Milwaukee County executive is in a close race against Democrat Mary Burke, a Madison School Board member and former state commerce chief who has invested millions of her personal wealth in the race.

Last week, Walker told The Washington Post that he needs more money and may need more cash from the RGA to remain in contention.

“Hopefully that comes through,” Walker said. “We are always looking for more help. Our main help has to be the RGA.”

According to RGA Communications Director Gail Gitcho, the committee is committed to Walker's re-election. The committee plans to spend $8 million helping Walker beat Burke. It spent $5.2 million on his 2010 campaign, and $9 million fighting off a labor-backed recall effort against Walker in 2012.

“The RGA has been all-in in Wisconsin from the beginning,” Gitcho told Politico. “Gov. Walker is an excellent governor, and we’re going to do everything we can to help get him across the finish line.”

The Walker campaign announced this week it has brought in more than $10 million in the past three months. Burke's campaign raised about half that, and then Burke wrote a personal check to her campaign for $5 million.

But while Walker softened his remarks about Christie Monday, he slammed Burke for spending so much of her personal fortune on the election and accused her of trying votes.

“I, like most people in this state, don’t have $5 million around to dump in the race for governor. I started out with humble roots,” Walker said. “But I think in the end, when people look at this, [they will] think they’re not going to allow somebody to buy [the election], either with their own millions or with the money from Washington.”