Wednesday morning, as the Government Accountability Board worked to count and verify petitions with over one million signatures turned in by recall forces Tuesday afternoon, former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk announced her candidacy to run against Gov. Scott Walker in a recall election that has not yet been scheduled.
"One million Wisconsinites signed recall petitions in an unprecedented and inspiring show of solidarity and determination: things are not working here and we must, we can, and we will do better," Falk wrote in a release.
State Sen. Tim Cullen (D-Janesville), who greeted revelers at a Tuesday night recall rally in downtown Madison, has also announced he will run and others are expected to join the race in coming weeks. But Falk's Wednesday announcement, complete with a slickly-produced video, is the highest profile to date.
Here is Falk's complete statement:
Kathleen Falk Will Run for Governor
Shares the news with supporters first; posts video message on website
Kathleen Falk will run for Governor in a recall election against Scott Walker. Falk shared the news with supporters this morning in an email message.
"One million Wisconsinites signed recall petitions in an unprecedented and inspiring show of solidarity and determination: things are not working here and we must, we can, and we will do better," Falk wrote.
Falk won election a record four times as County Executive in Dane County. She was the first woman elected Dane County Executive (1997). Called "energetic," "innovative," and "passionate," much of her success has come from bringing people together to solve tough problems. Her ability to balance budgets while investing in the priorities and values of Wisconsinites was a hallmark of her work.
In her email to supporters, Falk wrote, "As your Governor, I will make different choices than Scott Walker. I know Wisconsin is a place where we can have good paying jobs...a clean environment...successful schools affordable health care. We can have workers and management talking and working together to solve tough problems. I know we can, because I did it for more than a decade as a chief executive and I know we can do it again. The people of Wisconsin have done a brave thing: demanded change. And together we will continue to make history."
For more information, visit www.kathleenfalk.com and the Falk Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kathleen-Falk/44822010123.
Falk ran for governor previously, in 2002, but lost to Jim Doyle in the Democratic primary. She also lost the race for Wisconsin Attorney General to J.B. Van Hollen in 2006. Falk served as Dane County executive for 14 years, stepping down in 2010.
