NEWSMAX.COM: Wisconsin Republicans retained control of the state Senate with victories in four out of six recall elections Tuesday, one of which remained see-saw until the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
The GOP wins, in multimillion-dollar contests that had commanded national attention, turned back Democratic attempts to blunt the agenda of Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
Republican incumbents Alberta Darling, Sheila Harsdorf, Luther Olsen, and Robert Cowles survived the recalls. Democrats took two seats, cutting the Republican margin in the Senate to 17-16. Rep. Jennifer Shilling defeated Sen. Dan Kapanke, and Rep. Jessica King beat Sen. Randy Hopper.
The results represent a victory for Walker, 43, who used his legislative majorities to place collective-bargaining curbs on most public employee unions in March, sparking weeks of protests. The Aug. 16 recall election of two Democrat senators now will have no bearing on control of the chamber.
The recall elections for the state legislative seats drew national attention and a projected $40 million in campaign spending from Republican and Democratic support groups in a fight that was viewed as the first battle of the 2012 election season.
The votes were the climax of months of political fighting in Wisconsin, sparked by Walker’s collective-bargaining bill, which he signed into law March 11.
Democratic recall efforts began as Walker used Republican majorities in the Legislature to push through the union curbs. Republicans retaliated with ouster efforts against some of the 14 Democrats who fled the state in February in an unsuccessful effort to block a vote on Walker’s plan.
Read more on Newsmax.com: Republicans Retain Political Power in Wisconsin With 4 Victories
Read more on Heritage.org: Wisconsin Holds the Line
The results represent a victory for Walker, 43, who used his legislative majorities to place collective-bargaining curbs on most public employee unions in March, sparking weeks of protests. The Aug. 16 recall election of two Democrat senators now will have no bearing on control of the chamber.
The recall elections for the state legislative seats drew national attention and a projected $40 million in campaign spending from Republican and Democratic support groups in a fight that was viewed as the first battle of the 2012 election season.
The votes were the climax of months of political fighting in Wisconsin, sparked by Walker’s collective-bargaining bill, which he signed into law March 11.
Democratic recall efforts began as Walker used Republican majorities in the Legislature to push through the union curbs. Republicans retaliated with ouster efforts against some of the 14 Democrats who fled the state in February in an unsuccessful effort to block a vote on Walker’s plan.
Read more on Newsmax.com: Republicans Retain Political Power in Wisconsin With 4 Victories
Read more on Heritage.org: Wisconsin Holds the Line
