Wisconsin governor to speak to key Iowa GOP gathering
By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel
March 30, 2013
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Madison - In a few weeks, Scott Walker will head to a Sheraton hotel just outside Des Moines, following a path already traveled by Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann.
The Republican governor from Wisconsin will fire up a partisan crowd in the very heart of Iowa, the state whose caucus will open the 2016 presidential race. The Polk County Republican fundraiser is an event that doesn't just draw big names in conservative politics - it draws presidential contenders.
It's just one of several signs the first-term governor is looking beyond his 2014 re-election to a bigger potential prize - the Republican nomination for a president. Walker is crisscrossing the country to speak to conservatives, holding open a possible run, and overseeing a high-profile book that will introduce his life story to the rest of the country this fall.
For now, Walker trails Republicans with greater star power, such as Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, and even fellow Wisconsinite and unsuccessful vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, a member of the House from Janesville. But the governor caught the eye of conservatives with his successful fight to repeal most collective bargaining for public worker unions and his historic recall election win last year - one of conservatives' few victories in 2012. Now, he's taking the steps needed to make a presidential run at least possible.
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