UPDATED Wednesday, March 17, 2010 --- 4:30 p.m.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Republican candidate for governor Scott Walker says Democratic leadership harmed the Milwaukee job market by agreeing to buy trains from a Spanish company rather than a local maker.

Walker on Wednesday said state and city leaders unfairly used taxpayer subsidies that prevented the contract from going to Milwaukee-based Super Steel Products Corp.

Instead the state agreed to spend $47 million on two trains from Talgo Inc., whose parent company is based in Madrid. The trains are for Amtrak's Milwaukee-to-Chicago line.

Jeff Fleming is a spokesman for the Milwaukee Department of City Development. He says Super Steel couldn't make the specific high-speed trains the state needed.

Walker is being challenged for his party's nomination by former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is the highest-profile Democratic candidate.

On the Net:
Super Steel Products Corp.:
http://www.supersteel.com/

Talgo:
http://www.talgoamerica.com/

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Tuesday, March 16,2010---10:58 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A Scott Walker fundraising gimmick involving a brown bag to exemplify his stinginess recycles an award-winning idea that was first used by Ohio Republican George Voinovich 12 years ago.

Reusing successful campaign tactics certainly isn't new. But Walker, a Republican candidate for governor, has taken the brown bag idea to a new level making it the central theme of his campaign.

Both letters were handled by the same direct mail consultant and sent in a brown bag.

Walker campaign spokeswoman Jill Bader says the campaign was looking for ways to express to voters how conservative Walker is and settled on the brown bag image.

Liberal critics say copping the same fundraising tactic as Voinovich shows Walker is bereft of original ideas.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Monday, March 15, 2010 --- 7:30 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Records show Republican Scott Walker's campaign for governor has spent thousands of dollars on meals, sometimes at expensive restaurants, despite his claim he is so cheap he packs his lunch every day.

Walker's campaign has launched a Web site, www.brownbagmovement.com, where he talks about packing his brown bag lunch to save money. Supporters can even buy lunch bags that promote his anti-tax philosophy on the site.

But campaign finance records show Walker's campaign has rang up big tabs at some restaurants for meetings, including more than $2,000 at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Middleton in October.

Jay Heck of Common Cause in Wisconsin says the campaign's free spending on meals does not square with the image of the candidate it is promoting.

Walker campaign spokeswoman Jill Bader says that criticism is absurd and the spending was appropriate.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Tuesday, February 23, 2010 --- 5:20 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is offering a bold promise of jobs for the state if he's elected governor.

The Republican says the state's business climate is hurting because of too much government interference. He says his six-step plan will bring 250,000 jobs and 10,000 new businesses to the state by 2015.

Walker's plan includes lowering taxes, limiting regulations and improving health care and infrastructure.

Walker spoke Tuesday at the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce business day in Madison. He offered few specifics of his plan, saying he wanted to introduce the key points now and will revisit them in coming weeks.

Earlier Tuesday his Democratic rival, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, pledged to attract employers through tax credits for job creation.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Wednesday, February 17, 2010 --- 7:45 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will be hosting a fundraiser for Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker.

Bush is slated to headline a March 8 fundraiser in Milwaukee. He served two terms as Florida's governor, leaving office in 2007.

Tickets for the event are $250 per person.

In the last six months of 2009 Walker raised nearly $1.8 million followed by $1.3 million from Republican rival Mark Neumann. Neumann loaned his campaign $1 million.

Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett raised over $800,000, but he didn't get into the race until November.

The primary is Sept. 14 and the election is Nov. 2.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Monday, July 20, 2009 --- 10:50 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Republican Scott Walker says raising $1.1 million in the first six months of this year shows that his campaign for governor "is for real."

Reports filed Monday show Walker out-raised incumbent Gov. Jim Doyle by $200,000.

Walker says his strong fundraising should remove any doubts from those who wondered whether he could raise the money needed to mount a successful campaign. Concerns over his fundraising ability led to his dropping out of the governor's race in 2006.

Doyle campaign spokesman Mike Edmondson says he believes the governor is in a "very competitive" position. But he says Doyle has been focused on his job as governor, not raising campaign money.

Doyle has $2 million cash on hand and Walker has $1.1 million.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 -- 4:45 pm
By Zac Schultz

Madison: Now that the state budget has been signed, speculation at the Capitol has turned to the fall of 2010 and the race for Governor.

The field is becoming quite clear. Wednesday, former Republican Congressman Mark Neumann filed papers announcing his candidacy. "I can't sit on the sidelines and watch as our jobs leave this state."

Neumann represented the 1st Congressional District in the mid-90's, but he is best known for his close loss to Sen. Russ Feingold in the 1998 race for the U.S. Senate.

Neumann joins two other challengers in the Republican primary. Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker ran in 2006 before eventually dropping out. He's running again. "I know that we can build a better Wisconsin and that's why I'm proud to stand in my hometown in Wauwautosa and declare to the people of this state that I'm going to run for Governor to bring this state back."

Appleton businessman Mark Todd is also running.

Neumann has spent 10 years runnning his own real estate development firm and fears his grandchildren won't be able to get jobs when they grow up. "I look at those little boys and I ask myself, where are they going to be working? Are they going to be working in Wisconsin when they grow up or are they going to be in Mexico or China or India?"

It's not a guarantee the Republican winner will be facing Gov. Jim Doyle. He has repeatedly declined to say if he's running for a third term. " I still got a lot of work ahead of me before I worry about that," Doyle said Monday.

No matter what, Neumann says the primary issue will be jobs. "Creating jobs here in the state of Wisconsin is going to be the single number one issue in this campaign. Whoever lays out the best plan to do that is going to be elected the next Governor."

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UPDATED Tuesday, April 28, 2009 --- 7:50 a.m.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Republican Scott Walker is launching his campaign for governor by blaming the state's economic woes on incumbent Governor Jim Doyle.

Walker, who's served as Milwaukee County executive since 2002, scheduled a series of campaign stops today.

He will be challenged for the Republican nomination. But in his prepared remarks, the Milwaukee County executive focused only the Democratic governor, who's widely expected to seek a third four-year term next year.

Walker told The Associated Press in an interview that the majority of Wisconsin residents believe the state is headed in the wrong direction.

He criticized Doyle's approach to fixing the state's economy with his budget proposal that relies heavily on federal stimulus money and tax increases, including one on oil companies and households making more than $300,000 a year. Doyle is also proposing millions of dollars in spending cuts and other accounting moves to deal with the shortfall.

Walker hasn't released a counterproposal. But he said government should be cut more, including freezing or lowering state employees' salaries and looking at increasing workers' health and retirement costs.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Sunday, April 26, 2009 --- 12:15 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is expected to officially announce his bid for governor on Tuesday.

The Republican ran in 2006 but dropped out early in the year to make way for then-U.S. Rep. Mark Green. Green went on to lose to Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

Walker has been criticizing Doyle's budget and spending decisions in fundraising letters in recent weeks.

Doyle is widely expected to seek re-election next year.

Walker says he will make a "very special announcement" Tuesday at five stops around the state. The first is in Green Bay. He then travels to Rothschild, Eau Claire, Dane and Wauwatosa.

Another Republican, former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann, also is weighing a run and expects to announce his decision this fall.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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UPDATED Saturday, April 25, 2009 --- 5:48 p.m.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker says he has filed paperwork to run for Wisconsin governor in 2010.

The Republican made the announcement Friday on his Twitter account, which he started last Monday.

Walker has already said he plans to make a "special announcement" Tuesday.

Another Republican, former Congressman Mark Neumann told the Wisconsin State Journal he also plans to seek the nomination.

Walker was an early candidate in the 2006 governor's race. But he dropped out when his fundraising lagged behind that of eventual nominee and then-U.S. Rep. Mark Green.

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle is expected to seek a third four-year term next year.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

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UPDATED Monday, April 20, 2009 --- 1:45 p.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Expected Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker plans to make what he is calling a "very special announcement" next week.

Walker is widely expected to announce he is running for governor in 2010.

He has sent an invitation to Republican activists and supporters announcing a five-stop tour on April 28 to make his announcement.

Walker aide Keith Gilkes declined to comment on the nature of the announcement.

Currently the Milwaukee County executive, Walker has been acting like a candidate for governor for months by raising money and attacking Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle.

Doyle has not officially said whether he will seek a third term next year.

Walker ran for a short while in 2006 but dropped out when his fundraising lagged.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.