Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker makes big announcement about his political future

Scott Walker (R) has made it clear he plans to run for a third term as Wisconsin’s governor.

On Friday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Walker finally ended the speculation about his political future and released excerpts of a speech he plans to give on Saturday announcing his campaign. Walker’s second term will end early in January 2019, and the state’s gubernatorial election will be held in fall of 2018.

According to the Journal Sentinel, Walker plans to say in his speech, “I'm ready to help lead Wisconsin forward for four more years. But I need your help."

Wisconsin Democrats have already fired shots against the governor. Speaking on behalf of the state’s Democratic Party, Brandon Weathersby wrote in an email to the Journal Sentinel Wisconsin’s economy is “sputtering” because of Walker’s leadership.

"After a failed run for president,” Weathersby wrote, “a sputtering state economy that fell to 32nd in the nation in private sector job growth under his watch, and failing to find a long-term solution to fix our state's fourth worst in the nation transportation infrastructure, Gov. Walker won't be able to convince Wisconsinites to re-elect him for another term.”

Walker was an early favorite in the Republication Party's 2015-16 primary, but a lack of funding sunk his campaign early. Many analysts project Walker will run for president again. If he does, his third term as governor would end in January 2023, just one year before the 2024 presidential election.

In March, the Associated Press reported a Marquette University Law School poll showed Walker had earned the approval of 45 percent of respondents, up from 42 percent in October 2016. The poll, which appears to be the most recent on the subject, surveyed 800 registered Wisconsin voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

It’s worth noting the final Real Clear Politics average of polls for the 2016 election had Donald Trump losing to Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin by 6.5 percentage points. Trump ended up winning on election night by less than 1 percentage point.