Neumann running for governor

MADISON (AP) - Former Congressman Mark Neumann announced Wednesday he's running for governor, setting up a Republican primary contest with Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker.

Political newcomer Mark Todd, a businessman from Appleton, also plans to run as a Republican.

Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, has been coy about his plans for next year even though he's hired a full-time fundraiser and had $1.4 million in the bank as of January.

Neumann, who served in Congress between 1995 and 1999, said his campaign would be focused on creating jobs. He has plans to reduce taxes and wants to reform environmental regulations imposed on businesses while protecting the environment. He said he also supports measuring the quality of Wisconsin's schools to ensure children are getting the best education possible.

The 55-year-old Neumann has been out of politics since he narrowly lost against U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold in 1998. But he has been floating the likelihood of a run for governor for months. His candidacy received an early boost in April when GOP operative Jim Klauser sent a letter urging Republicans to get behind him.

Neumann, who lives in Nashotah just to the west of Milwaukee, runs a real estate development firm and is a home builder.

Walker's campaign spokesman Keith Gilkes had no immediate comment on Neumann's candidacy. In the 2006 governors race, Walker was an early candidate but dropped out when his fundraising lagged behind eventual nominee and then-U.S. Rep. Mark Green.

Doyle, 63, defeated Green to win re-election to a second term. A former three-term attorney general, he has never lost a statewide election. Doyle campaign spokesman Mike Edmondson also had no comment on Neumann's announcement.

Neumann said his experience in the private sector gives him an edge over Walker and Doyle, both of whom have spent most of their careers in public office.

"The race is going to come down to who do the people of Wisconsin think is best qualified to bring jobs back to the state," Neumann said.

Walker, 41, was elected to the state Assembly in 1993 and served there until 2002 when he was elected as county executive. He worked for three years as a fundraiser for the Red Cross before being elected to the Legislature.

Walker has been busy raising money, collecting $413,000 in the last six months of 2008 even though he didn't announce his candidacy until late April. On Monday, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich appeared at a big-money fundraiser for Walker in Milwaukee. Also earlier this week Walker announced that his campaign chairman is Michael Grebe, a party leader and member of the Republican National Committee.