WisPolitics Budget Blog

Of the former Members of Congress now serving as a governor, none, zero, have a favorability rating above 50% -- must be tough to govern under those burdensome laws and tricky parlor games Congress is noted for.

With a Right Track vs. Wrong Direction poll question weighted 2 to 1 on Wrong Direction, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker has an opportunity to exploit both Washington DC and Madison's leadership.

The good news for Congressman Mark Green is, that each of the 6 ex-Members are now serving as governor, having won their initial elections.

In either case, it is clear Republican governors, and particularly, former Members, need to keep their ex-colleagues in Congress true to Republican principles of federalism and states' rights.

Mr. Smith goes to Washington and back

Jon Corzine (D-NJ), who won his congressional seat in 2000, is just the ninth governor since 1900 to come directly from the U.S. Senate, according to a Stateline.org analysis

Before Corzine, Murkowski (R-AK) and Kempthorne (R-ID) was former California Gov. Pete Wilson (R), who led the Golden State from 1991 to 1999 after leaving the U.S. Senate. But before that, you have to look back to 1957, when Texas Gov. Price Daniel (D) was elected after serving in the U.S. Senate

Currently, eight of the nation's 50 governors traded Capitol Hill for their state Capitols -- the most at one time since the start of the 20th century.

Six current governors came directly from the U.S. House of Representatives: Bob Riley (R) of Alabama, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R), Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R), Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R).

Several congressmen appear willing to take those risks and are declared or likely 2006 gubernatorial candidates in Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin

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