Scott Walker (politician)

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Scott K. Walker (born November 2, 1967) is an American politician and the current county executive of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. He recently withdrew from the Republican primary election for Wisconsin governor.

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[edit] Political career

On June 29, 1993, Walker was elected in a special election to the Wisconsin State Assembly to represent the 14th district, which covered Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He chaired the Committee on Corrections & the Courts while also serving on the Assembly Committee on Health, the Assembly Committee on Census & Redistricting, the Assembly Committee on Financial Institutions and the Assembly Committee on Housing. He won reelection several times for successive two-year terms.

He first won the job of Milwaukee County Executive in a special election on April 30, 2002, after the former county executive Tom Ament was ousted in a pension-fund scandal. He ran on a platform that primarily featured fiscal responsibility, and voluntarily reduced his own salary after taking office. He was re-elected in 2004 after running against former Wisconsin state budget director David Reimer.

Walker announced on January 24, 2005, that he would run for Governor of Wisconsin as a Republican in 2006 against the current governor, Democrat Jim Doyle.[1] However, on March 24, 2006, Walker announced that he would no longer seek the 2006 Republican nomination, citing concerns about his funding sources and his desire to ensure that his challenger Mark Green had full party support in his quest to unseat Doyle.[2]

[edit] Personal life

Walker was born to Llew and Pat Walker in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His family moved when he was an infant to Plainfield, Iowa, and then to Delavan, Wisconsin, in 1977. He is married to Tonette Walker (born in 1953), and they have two children, Matthew and Alex. Walker graduated from Delavan-Darien High School in Delavan in 1986. He attended Marquette University from 1986 to 1990, but left before graduating to work for the American Red Cross.


[edit] Executive's Ride

Each of the past three summers (2004,2005,and 2006), Walker has led an extensive motorcycle tour throughout Wisconsin and parts of Illinois and Minnesota. [1] The ride seeks to attract tourists to travel to Milwaukee County and visit its many popular attractions (including the Milwaukee County Zoo, Milwaukee County Museum, Lakefront Festivals, Milwaukee County Golf Courses, and professional basketball, baseball, and indoor soccer teams).

[edit] References

  1. ^ Umhoefer, Dave. "Walker launches gubernatorial bid" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. January 25, 2005
  2. ^ "Green Statement on Campaign Announcement by Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker" News release by Green for Wisconsin. March 24, 2006

[edit] External links


Preceded by
Janine Geske
Milwaukee County Executive
2002 - present
Succeeded by
incumbent