MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Scott Walker has overwhelmingly won the Republican Party's endorsement at its annual convention in Milwaukee.

Walker's path to the endorsement Saturday comes after his Republican rival Mark Neumann asked delegates not to vote for him.

The party endorsement of Walker with 91.3 percent of the vote doesn't affect a candidate's standing on the ballot. But it does give the endorsed candidate access to additional fundraising and other resources through the state party.

Several delegates said they thought Neumann's withdrawing from the endorsement vote was a sign that Walker had much more support.

Walker received a boisterous, supportive reception while Neumann was greeted with polite but subdued applause. Neumann got 1.8 percent of the endorsement vote.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin put out a statement criticizing the endorsement.

"Scott Walker is a weak candidate with even weaker principles. In endorsing Scott Walker for governor, Republicans have cynically signed on to a phony who cannot be trusted, except to advance the causes of his big-money masters -- all at the expense of those folks in Wisconsin who actually work for a living," said Mike Tate, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, in a statement.

On Saturday, Walker asked all Republicans, from those new to politics who identify with the tea party to longtime activists, to join his campaign for governor.

Walker said he wants to take on what he called the political machine in Madison. Currently, the Legislature is controlled by Democrats and the governor is a Democrat.

Walker outlined major parts of his campaign, which is focused on limiting government spending and cutting taxes. Walker also stressed that he would sign Arizona's controversial immigration law if he were elected and reiterated his opposition to building a high-speed train between Madison and Milwaukee.

About two dozen people representing a variety of civil rights organizations staged a protest just outside the entrance to the state GOP convention Saturday to protest Walker's position on the Arizona immigration law.

Last week Walker initially said he had serious concerns with the law, but within days said he would sign the Arizona bill into law if he could.

Protesters held signs that said, "Wisconsin is Not Arizona." They were heckled by at least one Republican delegate leaving the convention who encountered the demonstration.

Voces de la Frontera organized the protest. The group's director Christine Neumann-Ortiz called on Republicans to support immigration reform.

Meanwhile, leading Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature said they will focus on cutting government spending and helping businesses if they win back control of the Statehouse.

Republican minority leaders in the state Senate and Assembly spoke to GOP delegates at the convention Saturday.

Assembly Minority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald said the first priority needs to be stopping government spending then focusing on changing the business environment to help attract more jobs.

Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald accused Democrats of pushing an anti-jobs, anti-employer, anti-family agenda in the Legislature.

Republicans need to win two seats in the Senate and four in the Assembly in order to take over majority control.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty was the keynote speaker Friday as the three-day convention began. He told Wisconsin Republicans that conservatives of all stripes need to unite.

He said people who call themselves Tea Party conservatives, Reagan conservatives and mainstream conservatives should focus on what they have in common. He said doing so will shift elections in Republicans' favor.

Pawlenty has served two terms as Minnesota's governor. He decided against seeking a third term as he weighs a possible presidential run in 2012.

His appearance in Wisconsin could help him score points in a state that has leaned Democratic in recent presidential elections.