MADISON - Wisconsin's Republican Gov. Scott Walker won his third election victory in four years Tuesday, overcoming fierce opposition from unions and other liberal groups and cementing his credentials for a possible 2016 GOP presidential run.
Walker told The Associated Press after he was declared the winner that any decision about running for president "will have to wait," as he focuses on quickly passing his agenda through the Legislature next year.
But Walker's victory speech to a raucous crowd sounded like a politician with the White House on his mind as he railed against Washington and talked of America's virtues.
"I'm an optimist," Walker said. "I believe here in Wisconsin and in America we want to be for something and not against something. But you know what? That's the difference between Washington and Wisconsin. They're all against something. We're for something."
Walker beat Democratic challenger Mary Burke by a margin nearly identical to his 7-point victory in the 2012 recall election, when public sector unions tried to oust him from office after he stripped them of most of their power.
While he downplayed talk of a 2016 run on the campaign trail, his victory in a swing state that voted for a Democratic president and U.S. Senator in 2012 will add to his clout with conservatives who consider him a hero for taking on unions.
"The bottom line is people elected me to get the job done in Wisconsin," Walker told AP. "We're going to spend the next couple months putting together our legislative agenda."
The race this year was the toughest of Walker's long political career. Polls showed it was deadlocked for months, even as Walker and Burke and their backers flooded the airwaves with attack ads to influence a sliver of undecided voters and motivate partisans to show up.
Walker argued he deserved a second term because he balanced a $3.6 billion budget shortfall, took on special interests such as the unions, cut taxes $2 billion and presided over the addition of more than 110,000 private-sector jobs.
Josef Litchfield, 34, of Madison, who is about to become a father for the first time, said he voted for Walker because he thought his policies were better for his young family.
"He's held down my property taxes, down as much as they've been held down as long as I've been a homeowner," said Litchfield, who has owned his house for nine years. "The more in my pocket, having a young family, is important."
But Burke said Wisconsin could have done better. Walker did not come close to delivering on his promise to add 250,000 new private-sector jobs during his first term and the next state budget faces a $1.8 billion shortfall. Burke also argued that Walker was divisive instead of bringing people together.
Burke told supporters in her concession speech that, "For many of us, it feels a little bit like getting knocked down." But she said that Wisconsin is full of people and communities "that can take a hit but that never waiver in getting right back up."
Burke congratulated Walker on what she called a "hard fought victory."
Walker said he planned to meet with his cabinet on Wednesday and then tour the state visiting technical colleges on Thursday.
Walker has spent nearly his entire adult life in politics, having first been elected in 1993 to a state Assembly seat. Burke's father started Trek Bicycles in the 1970s and she worked there two different times as an executive. She was elected to the Madison school board in 2012.
Burke spent $5 million of her own personal wealth on the race, one-third of the $15 million her campaign brought in. Walker raised $25 million since the middle of 2013, but outside groups spent millions more.
Total spending on the race was expected to reach up to $60 million.
Walker told The Associated Press after he was declared the winner that any decision about running for president "will have to wait," as he focuses on quickly passing his agenda through the Legislature next year.
But Walker's victory speech to a raucous crowd sounded like a politician with the White House on his mind as he railed against Washington and talked of America's virtues.
"I'm an optimist," Walker said. "I believe here in Wisconsin and in America we want to be for something and not against something. But you know what? That's the difference between Washington and Wisconsin. They're all against something. We're for something."
Walker beat Democratic challenger Mary Burke by a margin nearly identical to his 7-point victory in the 2012 recall election, when public sector unions tried to oust him from office after he stripped them of most of their power.
While he downplayed talk of a 2016 run on the campaign trail, his victory in a swing state that voted for a Democratic president and U.S. Senator in 2012 will add to his clout with conservatives who consider him a hero for taking on unions.
"The bottom line is people elected me to get the job done in Wisconsin," Walker told AP. "We're going to spend the next couple months putting together our legislative agenda."
The race this year was the toughest of Walker's long political career. Polls showed it was deadlocked for months, even as Walker and Burke and their backers flooded the airwaves with attack ads to influence a sliver of undecided voters and motivate partisans to show up.
Walker argued he deserved a second term because he balanced a $3.6 billion budget shortfall, took on special interests such as the unions, cut taxes $2 billion and presided over the addition of more than 110,000 private-sector jobs.
Josef Litchfield, 34, of Madison, who is about to become a father for the first time, said he voted for Walker because he thought his policies were better for his young family.
"He's held down my property taxes, down as much as they've been held down as long as I've been a homeowner," said Litchfield, who has owned his house for nine years. "The more in my pocket, having a young family, is important."
But Burke said Wisconsin could have done better. Walker did not come close to delivering on his promise to add 250,000 new private-sector jobs during his first term and the next state budget faces a $1.8 billion shortfall. Burke also argued that Walker was divisive instead of bringing people together.
Burke told supporters in her concession speech that, "For many of us, it feels a little bit like getting knocked down." But she said that Wisconsin is full of people and communities "that can take a hit but that never waiver in getting right back up."
Burke congratulated Walker on what she called a "hard fought victory."
Walker said he planned to meet with his cabinet on Wednesday and then tour the state visiting technical colleges on Thursday.
Walker has spent nearly his entire adult life in politics, having first been elected in 1993 to a state Assembly seat. Burke's father started Trek Bicycles in the 1970s and she worked there two different times as an executive. She was elected to the Madison school board in 2012.
Burke spent $5 million of her own personal wealth on the race, one-third of the $15 million her campaign brought in. Walker raised $25 million since the middle of 2013, but outside groups spent millions more.
Total spending on the race was expected to reach up to $60 million.