Scott Walker’s Campaign Confuses Wisconsin Voters

What if someone told you Scott Walker is passionate about abortion rights, and wants to expand health care access and loves unions?
No doubt you’d be somewhat perplexed.
Well, you’re not alone.
This Scott Walker is not the former Wisconsin governor known for his ferocious confrontations with public unions and his role as one of the state’s most polarizing political figures.
That was Scott Kevin Walker. This, on the other hand, is Scott Abbot Walker—a Democratic doctor running for a seat in Wisconsin’s state Legislature.
“Sometimes people are openly hostile when I introduce myself,” Walker admitted, reflecting on the reaction of the public. “Sometimes, they’re already shutting the door as soon as they hear my name.”
Walker is up against Republican Travis Tranel, who has held the seat in the 49th Assembly District—a staunchly red, rural area in southwestern Wisconsin—for 14 years.
The largest town in the district is Platteville, home to a modest state university and a population of around 11,000.
Walker, a political underdog in the Trump-friendly district, faces an uphill battle.
Despite the confusion his name causes, he is embracing the situation and even wears a button declaring himself “the other Scott Walker.”
He and his campaign briefly considered branding him “Dr. Scott” or “Dr. Walker,” but ultimately decided to let his name do the talking. “It’s the elephant in the room,” Walker said. “But going door-to-door, it’s actually an advantage—I never have to say my name twice.”
Tranel, meanwhile, is steering the campaign focus toward inflation and what he calls his opponent’s “socialist policies.” He also highlights Walker’s legal troubles, referring to a 2018 incident in which Walker was fined $700 after pointing a shotgun at a housekeeper during a payment dispute.
Walker explained to The Associated Press that he had been going through personal struggles at the time, including bankruptcy and depression.
He insisted that he had only pointed the gun at her car tire, not at the woman herself.
The contrast between the two Walkers—both in appearance and politics—couldn’t be more pronounced.
Scott Kevin Walker, the former governor, is a 56-year-old conservative with dark hair, a college dropout, and the current president of Young America’s Foundation, which champions conservative causes for young people.
He gained national attention in 2011 when he stripped public unions of their collective bargaining rights, triggering massive protests at the state Capitol and a failed recall effort.
After losing his 2018 reelection bid to Democrat Tony Evers, he left state politics.
Scott Abbot Walker, meanwhile, is 66, with silver-white hair. He holds a medical degree from Case Western Reserve University and runs a clinic for the underinsured in his district.
Voter reactions have ranged from amusement to confusion. Denny Fuseth, a 71-year-old Democrat from Lancaster, joked that Walker should change his name. “Go with Scotty or something,” he said.
Ron Johnsen, 64, did not immediately recognize which Scott Walker was on his porch when the Democratic candidate knocked on his door.
A retired University of Wisconsin-Platteville maintenance worker, he recalled losing his union rights under the former governor’s administration and signing the recall petition. “I looked at him, and he don’t look like the [Scott Walker] I remember,” Johnsen said.
As Walker heads into November, he faces long odds in a district that remains staunchly conservative.
But if nothing else, his name ensures voters won’t forget him anytime soon.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press