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Owen
B. Robinson
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You may not have noticed it
last week, but the 2010 governor’s race officially
kicked off. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin ran a
television ad slamming Milwaukee County Executive Scott
Walker’s stance regarding federal stimulus money. Scott
Walker is widely seen as the front-runner for the
Republican ticket, so the Democrats are spending money
early to try to damage Walker’s chances.
But Scott Walker isn’t the only dog in the hunt for the
Republican nomination. There’s a growing list of
hopefuls. Two of the most prominent Wisconsin Republicans
have already said that they will not seek the nomination.
Rep. Paul Ryan of Janesville has become a national figure
as the face of the conservative faction of the Republicans
in the House of Representatives. Ryan has already bowed
out of the governor’s race and is widely expected to
seek a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Another prominent Wisconsin Republican is Attorney General
J. B. Van Hollen. As the only Republican in the nation to
win a statewide office in the 2006 election, Van Hollen is
viewed by some to be the future of the Wisconsin
Republican Party. Many people speculated that he planned
to use the office of the Attorney General as a stepping
stone to the governor’s mansion. But Van Hollen has
declined to put his hat in the ring this time and seems
content to keep doing the people’s business as the head
of the Department of Justice.
An Appleton businessman has already announced his campaign
for governor. Mark Todd is focused on the business climate
in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, Todd faces an uphill battle
to gain name recognition, attract money and build a
campaign organization.
Former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann is also hinting at a run for
governor. He has told reporters that he plans to make any
announcement in October, but he has been quietly working
behind the scenes to gather supporters and finances.
Neumann has been off the political radar for the past
decade since losing to Sen. Russ Feingold in 1998.
Rick Graber, the former chairman of the Wisconsin
Republican Party and Ambasador to the Czech Republic, has
also been sending signals that he is considering a run.
Graber was not a popular chairman with the conservative
wing of the Republican Party, but he was very effective at
raising money. He would also struggle to gain name
recognition in the state.
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson has been hinting that he may
try to reclaim his old office. Thompson would be a
formidable candidate, but his time may have already
passed.
Finally, we return to Scott Walker. Walker ran for the
Republican nomination in 2006 against Mark Green. Much to
the lament of his supporters, Walker bowed out of the race
in the spring to allow Green to consolidate his support
for a strong run against Gov. Jim Doyle. Green lost to
Doyle in that election and many Republicans believe that
Walker has earned the chance to run for governor in 2010.
At this point, Gov. Doyle has not announced whether or not
he will seek a third term in 2010. If he does decide to
run, he would be vulnerable to a candidate like Scott
Walker. Doyle has proposed a budget with increased
spending, higher taxes, higher fees and massive borrowing.
Walker, by contrast, has built a reputation for fiscal
responsibility in Milwaukee County that has led to him
being re-elected twice by strong margins in a very
Democratic county.
Although Scott Walker has been considered the front-runner
for the Republican nomination since the 2006 election, he’s
by no means the only Republican vying for the nod.
Wisconsin Republicans could be in for another lively
primary battle.
The next election for governor is still 19 months away,
but the race has already begun.
(Owen B. Robinson, a West Bend resident, is a blogger
who publishes at www.bootsandsabers.
com. His column runs Tuesdays in the Daily News.)
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