In the first recall election in Wisconsin, a Democratic Senator manhandled his Republican opponent, convincingly defeating the sorry sap by a 2 to 1 ratio. With 65% of the polls reporting, the Associated Press called the election for Senator Dave Hansen, Democratic Senator for Green Bay.
“Scott Walker and his cronies pulled out all the stops trying to defeat Dave Hansen,” said the Wisconsin Democratic Party, “and the people of the 30th Senate District said loudly and clearly Tuesday, ‘Enough!’”
And former Democratic Senator Russ Feingold sent his congratulations via the Twitter machine, saying;
“Congratulations to WI Senator Hansen on his victory. We are one step closer to stopping Gov. Walker’s agenda. Forward.”
Hansen’s win on Tuesday now leaves eight more recall elections – 2 recalls for Democrats and 6 for Republicans. Most of the other recall elections will take place in August.
To win control of the upper chamber, Democrats need a total of three wins. By taking control, Democrats can block most of Governor Scott Walker’s policies.
Soon after taking office in January, Scott Walker began a series of far-reaching policy initiatives, including stripping public workers in Wisconsin of their collective bargaining rights. That move triggered massive protests throughout Wisconsin, leading to the present recall efforts. Walker himself would be eligible for recall in January of 2012.