Wisconsin’s Republican Governor Scott Walker hasn’t formally announced he’s running for president in 2016, but Democrats have already begun treating him like a threat. On March 9, Walker finished the latest chapter in his four-year fight against unions by signing legislation that makes it illegal for them to charge private-sector workers compulsory dues. Hours later, President Obama took the unusual step of rebuking a sitting governor. “Wisconsin is a state built by labor,” the president said. “Even as its governor claims victory over working Americans, I’d encourage him to try and score a victory for working Americans—by taking meaningful action to raise their wages and offer them the security of paid leave.”
Walker wasted no time responding. “The president should be looking to states, like Wisconsin, as an example for how to grow our economy,” he said in a statement. The exchange cemented Walker’s status as a darling of anti-Obama conservatives—and as a front-runner for the GOP nomination alongside former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. It was also a win for the person who’s done more than anyone to help Walker’s ascent: Diane Hendricks, the billionaire head of the largest U.S. wholesale roofing supply company.
