"It's historic for the state, for Waukesha:" Governor Scott Walker to announce bid for the White House
WAUKESHA -- Waukesha will be the backdrop for Governor Scott Walker's presidential announcement Monday, July 13th. Walker will take the stage at the Waukesha County Expo Center, in front of a crowd of about 3,000. On Monday evening, Walker will make his bid for the White House in 2016 official.
After months of speculation, there's no denying it now. Governor Walker wants 2016 to be his year, and his journey to the White House begins Monday in Waukesha.
"It`s historic for the state when you have a governor announcing he`s running for president. To have it be done in Waukesha also makes it historic for the city of Waukesha. The name Waukesha will pretty much be on every single news channel," Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly said.
Governor Scott Walker presidential announcement at Waukesha County Expo Center
The Waukesha County Expo Center almost wasn't the setting for this big announcement. Preparations for the Waukesha County Fair, which begins this week, almost created a logistical problem.
The 173rd Waukesha County Fair opens Wednesday, July 15th.
"It really became a logistical question. Could we house this event and the County Fair preparations at the same time?" Teri Adlam, manager of the Waukesha County Expo Center said.
“Having the governor announce his candidacy in Waukesha is great for the community, and the Expo arena is the perfect place to accommodate the large crowd,” said Shari Black, Executive Director of the Waukesha County Fair in a statement to FOX6 News. “Yes, our setup schedule has been affected, but my team will work hard and we will be ready for our fairgoers on Wednesday afternoon.”
We're told there are extra hands on deck to make sure both of these events go off without a hitch.
"Without that help, it probably couldn`t have happened. A lot of juggling. A lot of overtime," Adlam said.
The Waukesha County Expo Center is where Walker held his victory party after the 2012 recall election.
"It doesn`t look like our arena right now. They`ve have completely transformed it. The logo is beautiful. It`s really sharp and clean," Adlam said.
Waukesha County itself is really the heart of the Republican Party in Wisconsin.
We're told a crowd of about 3,000 is expected for Walker's announcement Monday. There is an overflow tent set up outside, in case even more people show up.
Governor Scott Walker to make presidential announcement at Waukesha County Expo Center
Anyone looking to attend needed to pre-register for tickets in advance. You'll need to bring a photo ID and that ticket if you plan on attending the event.
Organizers advise folks to get to the Waukesha County Expo Center by 1:00 p.m. to ensure a spot inside. The parking lot opens at 12:30 p.m.
The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department will be assisted by the Waukesha Police Department for this event.
"We're going to have traffic issues we'll be dealing with and it will be compacted into a small time frame," Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson said.
Walker's presidential announcement will be made at the Waukesha County Expo Center at 5:00 p.m. Monday. FOX6 News will have complete coverage of the announcement Monday. Our live coverage begins at 5:00 p.m. The official announcement is expected around 5:15 p.m., and we'll have it LIVE on FOX6, and streaming LIVE at FOX6Now.com.
FOX6 coverage of Gov. Walker's presidential announcement
Walker plans to campaign in Super Tuesday states this month after formally declaring his bid for the presidency, a nod of acknowledgment that he expects a prolonged battle for the Republican nomination.
Walker intends to campaign in Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina following a kick-off rally Monday in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a senior Walker aide told CNN.
Later in the month, Walker will visit Tennessee, which also has a primary scheduled on the first Tuesday in March.
In addition, the Wisconsin Republican has scheduled July campaign stops in Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina — three states that will hold primaries on March 15.
CNN will host a GOP presidential primary debate on March 10 in Florida, which also is scheduled to hold its primary on March 15. The March 15 primary is significant, because it is the first time states will be allowed to institute a “winner-take-all” awarding of delegates.
Walker also plans to visit California in July, one of the final states to hold its primary in June 2016.
Governor Walker’s office released the following details on Walker’s mid-July plans:
MONDAY, JULY 13
Event: Governor Scott Walker announcement event
Location: Waukesha, Wisconsin (Waukesha County Expo Center, 1000 Northview Road, Waukesha, WI 53188)
Pre-program: 4:30 PM CDT (doors to public open at 3:00 PM CDT)
Remarks: 5:15 PM CDT
TUESDAY, JULY 14
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Time: Mid-day PDT
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Time: Morning EDT
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
Time: Mid-day EDT
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Time: Afternoon EDT
THURSDAY, JULY 16
Location: Merrimack, New Hampshire
Time: Mid-day EDT
Location: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Time: Afternoon EDT
FRIDAY, JULY 17
Event: Governor Scott Walker Winnebago tour of Iowa
Location: Davenport, Iowa
Time: Mid-day CDT
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Time: Afternoon CDT
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Time: Evening CDT
SATURDAY, JULY 18
Event: Governor Scott Walker Winnebago tour of Iowa
Location: Council Bluffs, Iowa
Time: Morning CDT
Location: Sioux City, Iowa
Time: Mid-day CDT
Location: Carroll, Iowa
Time: Afternoon CDT
Location: Ames, Iowa – Family Leader event
Time: Early evening CDT
Location: Marshalltown, Iowa
Time: Evening CDT
SUNDAY, JULY 19
Event: Governor Scott Walker Winnebago tour of Iowa
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Time: Early afternoon CDT
Location: Plainfield, Iowa
Time: Afternoon CDT
Location: Dubuque, Iowa
Time: Evening CDT