After a 16-month long fight, an astonishing $63.5 million spent, and a people's uprising that attracted international attention and laid the groundwork for a movement that will last for years to come, Governor Scott Walker will keep his seat after Tuesday's recall election, winning 53-46 over challenger Tom Barrett. Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch also survived her recall challenge.
In the early hours of the morning, word came from Southeastern Wisconsin that former state Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, beat incumbent Republican Sen. Van Wanggaard, with 36,255 votes to Wanggaard's 35,476 votes, according to unofficial results with all precincts reporting. Combined with two other successful Senate recalls in August of 2011, this win means Democrats flipped the Senate from Republican control and put a halt to the Walker agenda.
A Historic Struggle Over Tremendous Odds
Walker was voted into office in 2010 with a promise to create 250,000 jobs in his first term -- which was appealing to a residents of a state suffering from an economic downturn caused by Wall Street gambling. During the campaign, Walker indicated that he would ask public sector unions to pay more into their health care and pensions, but never suggested that he would attack their right to collectively bargain, which public workers in Wisconsin have had for fifty years.
Walker first announced his plans to roll back collective bargaining rights on February 11, 2011 and anticipated the fight would be over in less than a week. Walker announced his "Budget Repair Bill" (Act 10) on a Friday and planned a vote the following Wednesday, leaving almost no time for public debate or deliberation. He even scheduled a bill signing at the end of the week.
Things did not go according to plan. Students, firefighters, and many others occupied the capitol for 18 days. Hundreds of thousands of people marched on the Capitol after 14 Senate Democrats delayed the vote by exiting the state. When the vote was eventually lost in March of 2011, many protesters vowed to recall Walker.
The task was not a small one. Wisconsin's recall law, which had never been used in a statewide election since its creation in 1926, first required that protesters wait a year before initiating a recall. Next, it required that advocates gather signatures equivalent to 25 percent of ballots cast in the last election -- one of the highest recall thresholds in the nation, much greater than the 12 percent required in California. Volunteers were tasked with gathering 540,000 signatures in 60 days a very high hurdle. But starting in November 2011, 30,000 volunteers braved a cold Wisconsin winter to greatly exceed that number, collecting over 930,000 signatures and triggering the recall election.
At that point, another problem with the recall process quickly emerged. A campaign finance loophole allowed a politician facing recall to accept unlimited campaign donations. This allowed Walker to accept checks for $100,000, $250,000, and $500,000 -- for a total of $30.5 million -- while his opponents engaged in a Democratic primary had to abide by a $10,000 contribution cap. No opponent could overcome this astonishing financial advantage. Finally, because of the Democratic primary on May 8, there was only four weeks for the winner to raise money, cut ads and campaign around the state.
Democrats Unable to Match Avalanche of Outside Money
Around $63.5 million was spent in the election. $45 million of that $63.5 million -- more than 70 percent -- came from Walker's campaign and supporters. Because of the loophole in Wisconsin campaign finance law, Walker out-raised Barrett 7.5 to 1 ($30.5 million to $4 million at last count). Two-thirds of Walker's money came from out-of-state, versus only one-fourth of Barrett's money coming from outside Wisconsin.
According to Mike McCabe of the nonpartisan Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks money in politics, "Money doesn't talk, it screams. And that is what we saw in this election."
