Scott Walker Announces Presidential Run

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDmqbE1WjM4

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced he’s running for president in an early-morning campaign video and email to supporters.

“America needs new, fresh leadership with big, bold ideas from outside of Washington to actually get things done,” Walker said in the video. “In Wisconsin, we didn’t nibble around the edges. We enacted big, bold reforms that took power out of the hands of the big government special interests and gave it to the hard-working taxpayers – and people’s lives are better because of it.”

“We fought and won. In the Republican field, there are some who are good fighters, but they haven’t won those battles,” he continued. “And there are others who’ve won elections, but haven’t consistently taken on the big fights. We showed you can do both.”

“Now, I am running for president to fight and win for the American people. Without sacrificing our principles, we won three elections in four years in a blue state. We did it by leading. Now, we need to do the same thing for America.”

In the email beseeching supporters for a “generous Day One contribution,” Walker said the “decision to run comes after much deliberation and many discussions with my family and supporters.”

“Spending time in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina recently only solidified my belief that America needs bold, principled, and reform-minded leadership now more than ever,” he said.

One longtime Walker adviser who spoke with National Journal said Walker will start on the right and shift toward the middle later.

“You start in Iowa and lock up conservatives, because if you don’t do that, none of the rest matters,” the adviser said. “It’s much easier to move from being a conservative to being a middle-of-the-road moderate later on.”

“In Iowa, you see the beginnings of that. He’s capturing that conservative wing first and foremost, and then moving from Iowa to the other states and bringing other voters into the fold.”

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is expected to be the final Republican to jump into the crowded field of 2016 presidential hopefuls on July 21.