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Breaking… Two Wisconsin Democrats win recall votes

Posted: August 16, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Labor unions, U.S. Politics | Tags: , , , , , |3 Comments

Two sitting Wisconsin Democratic State Senators faced recall votes today. One of the races has been decided so far.

Wisconsin state Sen. Bob Wirch (D) has defeated corporate attorney Jonathan Steitz (R) in a recall election.

Wirch’s 22nd district seat is Democratic leaning, although Gov. Scott Walker (R) won narrowly there in the 2010 election. In the Republican-leaning 12th district, state Sen. Jim Holperin (D) is fighting tea party activist Kim Simac (R).

Wirch and Holperin were among the Democratic State Senators who fled Wisconsin to stall the vote on Governor Scott Walker’s union busting bill.

Politico is reporting (via breaking news e-mail) that both Wisconsin Democrats have now survived the recall votes.

A third Democrat, Dave Hansen, easily won his recall vote in July.

Please use this as an open thread.

3 Comments on “Breaking… Two Wisconsin Democrats win recall votes”

  1. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    August 16, 2011 at 10:03 pm

    In final Wisconsin recall, signs of a tea party backlash?

    In Tuesday’s recall elections, two Democratic incumbents in the state Senate face Republican challenges. Last week, six Republican state senators faced recalls, with four holding on to their seats. That leaves Republicans with a 17-16 advantage in the state Senate.

    While Republicans cannot lose their majority Tuesday – meaning they will retain control of the Senate, Assembly, and governorship – picking up an extra seat could give them valuable legislative breathing room.

    If both Democrats prevail, however, the election could offer further evidence that the country’s broad political middle is swinging back left after the tea party triumphs of last November. The composition of Wisconsin’s electorate almost exactly matches America’s, polls suggest, meaning that the state is emerging as a microcosm of the national political mood, which makes it a crucial bellwether in the 2012 national election.

  2. minkoffminx's avatar Minkoff Minx says:
    August 16, 2011 at 10:24 pm

    Thanks for the update BB, I see the serious post before this one, just can’t handle it right now…

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