Concerning his own vice presidential aspirations, Walker says he's focusing on Wisconsin. Walker: Put Paul Ryan on GOP ticket

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s victory in Tuesday’s recall election has some speculating that he could become Mitt Romney’s running mate.

But Walker thinks another Wisconsinite is right for the job: Rep. Paul Ryan.


“If [Romney] were to ask me about what to do with Wisconsin, I’d say one of the most powerful reformers in the country grew up just down the way from me — Paul Ryan. I’d probably suggest he put him on the ticket,” Walker told CNN’s Piers Morgan on Thursday night. “After a year and a half of all this, I want to stay focused in helping Wisconsin move forward.”

( See also: POLITICO's veep watch)

Pressed by Morgan on whether he’d turn down an offer to be the Republican Party’s vice presidential candidate, Walker repeated, “I would properly eagerly persuade [Romney] that the best person in Wisconsin to put on the ticket is indeed Paul Ryan.”

Walker beat Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in a historic recall match Tuesday, more than a year after drawing the ire of public employees by pushing a law to take away many of their collective-bargaining rights. But on Thursday, he shied away from patting himself on the back for the victory.

“I appreciate the attention but I think it’s really because of not my personality as much as it is because of the bold ideas we ran on,” he said.

The governor, who has quickly risen to national prominence during his first term in office, said the hard fight to keep his job was reason enough to stay focused on the Badger State for the next few years.

“I think [Romney] would have a pretty tough person to convince in terms of my wife, Tonette, after all this campaigning and all this focus in Wisconsin,” he said. “I think it would be hard for me to turn around and do anything else except, for the next couple of years, stay focused on Wisconsin. That’s why I’d push Paul.”