Scott Walker (politician)

Scott Walker
Walker in 2017
45th Governor of Wisconsin
In office January 3, 2011 – January 7, 2019
Lieutenant	Rebecca Kleefisch
Preceded by	Jim Doyle
Succeeded by	Tony Evers
Chair of the Republican Governors Association
In office November 16, 2016 – November 17, 2017
Preceded by	Susana Martinez
Succeeded by	Bill Haslam
5th Executive of Milwaukee County
In office April 30, 2002 – December 27, 2010
Preceded by	Tom Ament
Succeeded by	Lee Holloway (acting)
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 14th district
In office June 30, 1993 – April 30, 2002
Preceded by	Peggy Rosenzweig
Succeeded by	Leah Vukmir
Personal details
Born	Scott Kevin Walker (1967-11-02) November 2, 1967 (age 56) Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Tonette Tarantino ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	2
Education	Marquette University (no degree)
Signature
Website	Official website

Scott Kevin Walker (born November 2, 1967) is an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Milwaukee County executive from 2002 to 2010.

Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Walker was raised in Plainfield, Iowa and in Delavan, Wisconsin. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1992, representing a district in western Milwaukee County. In 2002, Walker was elected Milwaukee County Executive in a special election following the resignation of F. Thomas Ament; he was elected to a full term in 2004 and was re-elected in 2008.

Walker ran for Governor of Wisconsin in 2006, but dropped out of the race before the primary election. He ran again in 2010 and won. Shortly after his inauguration in 2011, Walker gained national attention by introducing the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill; the legislation proposed to effectively eliminate collective bargaining for most Wisconsin public employees. In response, opponents of the bill protested at the Wisconsin State Capitol and Senate Democrats left the state in an effort to prevent the bill from being passed. Nevertheless, the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill became law in March 2011. Opposition to the law led to an attempt to recall Walker from office in 2012. Walker prevailed in the recall election, becoming the first of two incumbent governors in the history of the United States to win a recall election, the other being California governor Gavin Newsom in 2021.

Walker was re-elected in 2014, defeating Democratic Madison School Board member Mary Burke. Following heavy speculation about his presidential ambitions, Walker launched a campaign for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election; however, he withdrew from the race after only two months as a result of declining support in polls. Walker sought a third term as governor in 2018, but was narrowly defeated by Democrat Tony Evers.