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PolitiFact Wisconsin: Gov. Walker's jobs promise

Posted at 6:25 PM, Jun 23, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-23 19:25:13-04

Jobs will be an issue in next year's race for governor.

Gov. Scott Walker is expected to be on the ballot next year, seeking a third term.

Democrats are already bringing up a campaign promise Walker made seven years ago.

PolitiFact Wisconsin puts it to the Truth-O-Meter.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan recently blasted Walker for a promise made during the Republican governor's first run in 2010.

"He says that seven years later Gov. Walker has not kept his campaign promise to create 250,000 jobs," said Tom Kertscher with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Job creation has been a top priority for the governor. PolitiFact Wisconsin found Walker did make that promise. 

"He said that by the end of this first term there will be 250,000 new jobs. That didn't happen," Kertscher said. "At the end of his first term there are about 130,000."

Wisconsin's unemployment rate of 3.1 percent is the second lowest rate recorded in the state.  But job growth has not met Walker's expectations or campaign promise seven years later.  

"The governor has created about 180,000 jobs since taking office in 2011 and that does not meet his goal of creating 250,000 jobs," Kertscher said.

PolitiFact Wisconsin rated Pocan's claim True.