( CNN ) -- Wisconsin Gov . Scott Walker won re-election Tuesday , according to a CNN projection , positioning the conservative hero for a potential shot at the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 . Walker held off a challenge from Democratic businesswoman and Madison school board member Mary Burke , keeping hold of the governor 's office in a state that typically votes for Democratic presidential candidates . The race was largely -- once again -- a referendum on Walker . The Republican governor became a conservative rock star in 2010 when he successfully pushed a `` budget repair '' bill that stripped most state workers of their collective bargaining rights and slashed education spending by more than $ 1 billion . The cuts -- and the restriction of unions ' power -- triggered weeks of protests in Wisconsin 's Statehouse , followed by a move to recall Walker through a June 2012 special election . Walker survived , offering Republicans a massive confidence boost that their favored policies could be winners even in blue-tinted Great Lakes states like Wisconsin . His victory in the recall election also earned Walker a spot on short lists of 2016 GOP presidential possibilities . He 's fallen back to earth since then , though , surviving accusations this summer of illegal campaign coordination but facing a much tougher than expected challenge from Burke , a Wisconsin school board member who is also a former Trek Bicycle Corp. executive and state secretary of commerce . She criticized Walker for signing into law bills that restrict access to abortions and legislation requiring state-issued photo identification to vote . She also pledged to restore state employees ' collective bargaining rights . Walker complained in the days before the election that national Republican groups had n't done enough to shore up the seat . He spent the campaign 's closing days traveling the state with New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie -- another possible 2016 presidential contender .
Wisconsin Republican Gov . Scott Walker won re-election 2016 , Walker projects . He defeated Republican Mary Burke , a businesswoman and member of the Madison school board . GOP is now positioned for a potential 2016 run for the Walker presidential nomination .