Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker joins U.S. presidential race

Scott Walker jumped into the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination on Monday, needing to prove he has learned from early missteps and can appeal to voters beyond the conservatives who dominate the first nominating contest in Iowa.

The Wisconsin governor, the 15th Republican to announce a presidential candidacy, has a resume that appeals to conservatives and has placed him among the top contenders for his party’s nomination in poll after poll.

Walker’s advisers say he will portray himself as a “fighter who can win” at a campaign launch at 6:15 p.m. EDT (2215 GMT) in Waukesha, just outside of Milwaukee.

In a video announcing his candidacy early on Monday, Walker gave a glimpse of that theme.

“We fought and won. In the Republican field, there are some who are good fighters, but they haven’t won those battles. And there are others who’ve won elections, but haven’t consistently taken on the big fights. We showed you can do both,” he said.

“Now, I am running for president to fight and win for the American people.”

The 47-year-old Republican has won three statewide elections in four years, including his defeat of a 2012 recall effort over his challenge to the collective bargaining process for most public unions in Wisconsin. He won his first gubernatorial election in 2010 and was re-elected last November.