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MILWAUKEE — Gov. Scott Walker gave Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump a vote of confidence Thursday, five months after urging Republican presidential candidates to coalesce around a conservative alternative to the real estate mogul.

Asked whether Republicans can win Wisconsin for the first time since 1984 if Trump is the nominee, Walker said, “I think they can.”

“There’s no doubt it will be a challenge,” Walker told reporters hours before Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were set to debate on the UW-Milwaukee campus.

Walker noted some of the other candidates are faring better against Clinton in the polls than Trump, but he also said polls can go up and down.

He emphasized turnout will also be a factor, especially if Sanders supporters aren’t happy about the nomination process.

“If, in the end, Hillary Clinton prevails, but a lot of particularly young voters feel disenfranchised because of the whole superdelegate process, they may not vote for a Republican, but they may vote for a third party or not vote at all,” Walker said.