Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has hired a Republican strategist as his potential campaign manager and plans to launch a new political organization in the coming weeks, indicating a run for president in 2016, reported CNN.
Rick Wiley, a former Republican National Committee political director and strategist for multiple presidential campaigns, was picked up by Walker about a month ago to begin building his political operation in preparation for 2016, sources told CNN.
Wiley most recently served as a consultant with D.C.-based Mercury Public Affairs, where he worked as a liaison for the Republican Governors Association and helped GOP candidates such as Walker around the country during last fall's elections.
One source told CNN that Walker plans to form "some kind of entity in the coming weeks to lend itself as a vehicle" - most likely a political action committee.
In an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday, Walker suggested that, if necessary, God would place him in a position to run for president, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"I think with what I've had to go through in the last four years, both politically, but also in terms of the policies, certainly I feel that there's a reason God put me in a spot to do the things that we've done and take on the kind of challenges we've done," Walker said. "And it's certainly something I'm going to take seriously and really look at it closely over the next month or two."
The governor said he will likely wait to make a decision on his candidacy until after he delivers a two-year budget proposal to state lawmakers in early February, according to the Sentinel.
"Once we've done that, I think it puts me in a perfect position to see if this is the right calling," Walker said. "Any candidate that's going to be serious, by midyear in 2015, has to be in the race."
Walker's hiring comes amid similar moves from other Republicans thought to be eyeing a White House bid. Since the New Year, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee have hired new staff and begun distancing themselves from potential obstacles to running, reported CNN.
