Walker wins re-election in Wisconsin's governor race November 5, 2014 -- Updated 1308 GMT (2108 HKT) Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker won re-election Tuesday, CNN projects He defeated Democrat Mary Burke, a businesswoman and member of the Madison school board Walker is now positioned for a potential 2016 run for the GOP presidential nomination (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 hadn'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.