Scott Walker (politician)
A conservative governor who became a national figure by championing legislation that sharply curtailed public-sector union power.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American politician·Birthday: November 2·Generation X
Biography
Scott Walker's political identity was forged in the battleground state of Wisconsin. After a decade as Milwaukee County Executive, he was elected governor in 2010 and almost immediately ignited a political firestorm. In 2011, he introduced and signed Act 10, a law that severely limited collective bargaining for most public employees. The move triggered massive protests at the state capitol and a failed recall election, which he survived, solidifying his standing with conservative voters. Walker positioned himself as a champion of fiscal austerity and a foe of organized labor, a stance that propelled him briefly into the 2016 Republican presidential primaries. His three terms as governor were defined by these pitched battles over the role of government and unions, making him a polarizing yet consequential figure in modern state-level conservatism.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Scott was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Scott Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Scott's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Signed Act 10 in 2011, dramatically limiting collective bargaining rights for public-sector unions in Wisconsin.
- Became the first U.S. governor to defeat a recall election, surviving the effort in 2012.
- Served three terms as the 45th Governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019.
- Authored the book 'Unintimidated: A Governor's Story and a Nation's Challenge' about the Act 10 fight.
Did You Know?
He dropped out of the 2016 presidential race before the Iowa caucuses.
He is the son of a Baptist minister.
He worked at IBM and the American Red Cross before entering politics full-time.
“We took the power away from the big government special interests.”
