Victory in Wisconsin! Kloppenburg wins, declares victory

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, JoAnne Kloppenburg had 740,090 votes, or 50.01 percent, 204 more votes than David Prosser who had 739,886 votes, or 49.99 percent. Kloppenburg declares victory over Prosser in Supreme Court race:

Attorney JoAnne Kloppenburg has declared victory over incumbent state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser.

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Kloppenburg issued a statement thanking Prosser for his service and vowing to be an impartial judge. Prosser's campaign didn't immediately return a message seeking comment on whether he would seek a recount. The latest such a request could be made is April 20.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports Kloppenburg's statement:

"We owe Justice Prosser our gratitude for his more than 30 years of public service. Wisconsin voters have spoken and I am grateful for, and humbled by, their confidence and trust. I will be independent and impartial and I will decide cases based on the facts and the law. As I have traveled the State, people tell me they believe partisan politics do not belong in our Courts. I look forward to bringing new blood to the Supreme Court and focusing my energy on the important work Wisconsin residents elect Supreme Court justices to do."

Tuesday's contest was widely considered a referendum on Republican Gov. Scott Walker's moves to weaken public employee unions and a test of the political strength of the unions to strike back. 

Had David Prosser won, you can be certain that the right-wing noise machine led by FAUX News would have been claiming that this "referendum" vindicated Gov. Scott Walker and his Tea-Publican legislature. But since Prosser lost what was deemed to be a sure thing only a few weeks ago, Gov. Walker now wants to distance himself from that "referendum" election label. Walker says Supreme Court race not a referendum on his agenda. I'll bet he does.

In another closely watched race, Dems Win Walker's Old Office In Milwaukee County In Landslide:

Democrats have now drawn political first blood in Wisconsin, in the fight over Republican Gov. Scott Walker's anti-public employee union law: In Milwaukee County, where Walker had previously been elected three times as county executive, the Dem-supported candidate has won in a rout — and defeated a Republican state legislator who voted for Gov. Walker's bill.

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The Milwaukee County race is officially non-partisan, but with 90% of precincts reporting, businessman and philanthropist Chris Abele, who has been a Democratic donor and is supported by the party, leads Republican state Rep. Jeff Stone by a whopping margin of 61%-39%. Abele has been projected as the winner by the Associated Press, and Stone has conceded. Stone had previously voted for the bill, but later sought to suggest less than total support for Walker's approach.

Last week, the first of eight recall petitions against Tea-Publican state senators was filed. It's game on!