Voters in Wisconsin took the polls Tuesday in the state’s largest recall election in history.
Early, unofficial returns published online by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel show Republican incumbents Alberta Darling and Sheila Harsdorf with comfortable leads over their Democratic challengers. The Associated Press has reportedly called one of the races in favor of Mr. Robert Cowles, a Republican.
With millions of dollars from national labor groups and conservative political action committed, political analysts spent much of the week saying the results out of Wisconsin may serve present insight for the 2012 election.
Among the key races include those where six Republican state senators are at risk of losing their seats in the recall effort, which was spurred by Wisconsin governor Scott Walker’s signing of a controversial collective bargaining bill. Democrats will have to capture four of the six races on the ballot in order to gain control to the state Senate.
“In size and scope and consequence, the recall movement will represent a historic correction to Republican overreach,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Mike Tate said in a memo to reporters Monday.
Spending on the nine elections had reached $33 million, most of which comes from political action committees outside of the state. Interest group spending has far eclipsed the Wisconsin record of about $20 million set in 2008 elections that covered half the state Senate and all Assembly members.
