Milwaukee Mayor to Run Against Scott Walker

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has won a hard-fought primary campaign to become the Democrat who will seek to unseat Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in a recall election June 5. Barrett—who was defeated by Walker in November 2010—beat nearest rival Kathleen Falk 58% to 32%, despite the millions of dollars labor groups spent in a bid to defeat him, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. With the election just four weeks away, polls show Walker and Barrett in a dead heat, but Walker has raised more than $25 million, while Barrett's campaign now has less than $500,000 on hand.

"We cannot fix Wisconsin with Walker as governor," Barrett said in a statement. "This election is not about fighting past battles, it is about moving forward together to create jobs and get our economy moving again. Wisconsin cannot afford to continue to suffer through Walker's ideological civil war." Yesterday's vote also decided the Democratic candidates for recall elections against the state's lieutenant governor and four state senators, notes the New York Times. (More Milwaukee stories.)