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Nov. 2,
2010 Governor |
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WI Elections Commission
REPUBLICAN PICK UP Notes: Gov. Jim Doyle (D) announced on Aug. 17, 2009 that he would not seek a third term. Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker (R) defeated Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D). On the Democratic side, after Doyle's announcement, two leading prospects ruled out runs for governor. On Sept. 24 U.S. Rep. Ron Kind cited his determination to focus on passage of health care reform. On Oct. 26 Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, who had earlier said she would run run if Doyle did not, surprised supporters by announcing she would not run for "very personal reasons." On Nov. 15 Barrett announced his candidacy. Barrett had also run for governor in 2002, finishing second to Doyle in the Democratic primary. Prior to being elected Mayor in 2004, he served five terms in Congress (1993-2003); he started his political career with his election to the Assembly in 1984. Barrett easily won the Sept. 14, 2010 primary with 90.4% of the vote. The Republican contest shaped up as a two-person race (>) between Walker and former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, a home builder from Nashotah. Walker was elected county executive in a 2002 special election and re-elected in 2004 and 2008; earlier he served in the Assembly. He also sought the 2006 Republican gubernatorial nomination, but withdrew well before the primary. Walker announced his candidacy in five-stop tour on Apr. 28, 2009 (>). Neumann entered the race on Sept. 9 via a video chat. Walker won the primary by 362,913 votes (58.7%) to 239,022 (38.6%) with a third candidate getting the remainder. Major issues included jobs, the state deficit, and taxes. Barrett was seen having somewhat of a disadvantage after eight years of the Doyle administration and with the national trend against Democrats. Walker emphasized his fiscal conservatism; an ad from Mar. 2010 (>) showing Walker in his kitchen preparing a brown bag lunch drew considerable attention. "I pack a brown bag lunch so I can afford to pay for other things, like Wisconsin's high taxes," he stated. In addition to this "brown bag movement," Walker also frequently referenced the example set by former four-term Gov. Tommy Thompson. Walker and Barrett debated three times: Sept. 24 - Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation at WTMJ studios in Milwaukee (>); Oct. 15 - WISN-TV at Marquette University in Milwaukee; Oct. 29 - Wisconsin Public Television studios in Madison (>). Walker carried 59 counties to 13 for Barrett. Wisconsin Democracy Project reported that campaigns and outside groups spent a total of $37.4 million (>). Spending by the campaigns totaled $25.2 million: $11.1 million by the Walker campaign, $6.8 million by the Barrett campaign and $6.6 million by the Neumann primary campaign. Top outside groups were the Republican Governors Association (about $5 million), Greater Wisconsin Committee (about $4.8 million), and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (about $950,000). Campaign Managers: Scott Walker: Keith Gilkes (April 2009) Policy advisor to Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald, Jan. 2007-April 2008. Executive director of the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate, 2006. Campaign manager on Dan Kapanke for State Senate, Feb.-Dec. 2004. Legislative assistant in the Wisconsin State Assembly, 1999-2000. B.S. in political science from University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1999. From Prairie du Chien, WI. Tom Barrett: Bill Hyers (Jan. 2010) White House liaison to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Midwest regional director on Obama's 2008 general election campaign. Campaign manager on Jeanne Shaheen's U.S. Senate campaign in New Hampshire, Nov. 2007-July 2008. State director on former Sen. John Edwards' Nevada caucus campaign. Campaign manager on Michael Nutter for Philadelphia Mayor in the May 2007 Democratic primary. Campaign manager for Kristen Gillibrand’s successful 2006 run for Congress in New York’s 20th district, defeating the incumbent Republican congressman. In Fall 2004, Hyers worked as the Coordinated Campaign Director in Alaska. Central Iowa regional field director on John Edwards' 2003-04 Iowa caucus campaign. State field director for the Judi Dutcher for Governor primary campaign and then regional director for the Minnesota State House DFL Caucus in the 2002 cycle. Worked on a number of local campaigns in Duluth and Minneapolis starting in 2001. Before entering the political field, Hyers served in the U.S. Army, 1993-98; as a Military Police officer, including in Bosnia during Operation Joint Endeavor. B.A. in political science from St. Cloud State University in MN. Illinois native. See also: Wisconsin Historical Society. "2010 Wisconsin Gubernatorial Campaign." Jessica Vaneregen. "On the campaign trail with Tom Barrett." The Cap Times, Aug. 31, 2010, and "On the campaign trail with Scott Walker." The Cap Times, Sept. 2, 2010. Marc Eisen. "How Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett gets elected governor of Wisconsin." Isthmus, July 22, 2010. Joel McNally. "Scott Walker's brown bag hypocrisy." The Cap Times, Mar. 27, 2010 [column]. --. "Walker recycles brown bag fundraising gimmick." Pioneer Press, Mar. 16, 2010. Tim Seeman. "Barrett formally announces bid for governor." Marquette Wire, Nov. 17, 2009. Carol E. Lee and Alexander Burns. "Gaspard, Barrett meet amid 2010 buzz." Politico, Nov. 4, 2009. Scott Bauer. "Lawton breaks silence: 'White House did not contact me'." Associated Press, Oct. 27, 2009. Jonathan Martin. "Gov. Jim Doyle won't seek reelection." Politico, Aug. 15, 2009. Steve Schultze. "Walker officially announces candidacy for governor." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Apr. 28, 2009. Alex Isenstadt. "The crushing defeat that shaped Scott Walker." Politico, Mar. 29, 2015. |
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