Ex-Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker takes job as president of conservative group, won’t seek office soon
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has accepted a full-time job running the conservative group Young America’s Foundation, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday.
The new position means Walker, who left office earlier this year, will not run for any political position in the next few years.
“This would preclude me from running for governor in this next cycle or running for the U.S. Senate if Ron Johnson’s seat is open,” Walker said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel.
{mosads}He told the newspaper that he will not assume the presidency of the organization until 2021, when the current president steps down, and has committed to serve at least four years.
Walker said he is “absolutely thrilled” with his upcoming role with the organization, which seeks to promote conservative ideas among young people.
He told the Journal Sentinel the timing of his announcement is in part to let potential candidates interested running for governor or Senate in Wisconsin know he won’t be competing for either of those offices. There are no statewide offices on the Wisconsin ballot in 2020, but in 2022 Sen. Ron Johnson (R) may not pursue reelection.
“Starting January 2021, this will be full-time,” Walker said. “I won’t be engaged in anything else. This will be my sole occupation.”
Walker said he chose the job because conservatives, like himself, are concerned about polls showing that large numbers of younger Americans are sympathetic to socialism.
“I look at it and say we’ve got to not just up the number of chapters … have a presence on every campus, public and private, not just four-year but even two-year, but we’ve got to find new ways to communicate to folks … new ways to get the message out,” he explained.
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