WASHINGTON
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker became the latest to announce his bid for the Republican nomination Monday, bringing the party’s candidate pool to 15.
Walker, 47, depicted himself as a fighter during an announcement rally in Waukesha, Wisconsin, telling supporters, “It doesn't matter if you're from a big city, a suburb or a small town, I will fight and win for you. Healthy or sick, born or unborn, I will fight and win for you.”
“My record shows that I know how to fight and win,” he said. “Now more than ever America needs a president who will fight and win for America.”
The governor rose to conservative fame by taking on organized labor in a strongly blue-collar state, famously winning a recall election that was spearheaded by unions in 2012.
Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd, Walker championed conservative ideals, saying, “Washington seems to think that success is measured by how many people are dependent on the government.”
“We measure success by just the opposite – by how many people are no longer dependent on the government,” he said. “We understand that true freedom and prosperity do not come from the mighty hand of the government, they come from empowering people to control their own lives and their own destinies to the dignity that is born of work.”
Walker’s half-hour announcement speech hit on a variety of hot-button conservative topics heading into 2016, including reducing federal regulations, energy development and abortion. He drew particularly boisterous applause when he committed to repealing President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform, which ensures that all Americans have health care.
Walker’s announcement swelled the ever expanding field of Republican candidates, and that number is likely to hit 16 with an announcement expected from Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
