Democrats Gain Majority in Wisconsin Senate

While Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker survived his recall, the Democrats gained a majority in the Wisconsin Senate with John Lehman defeating incumbent Republican Van Wangaard. So, though the recall effort didn't achieve its goal of removing Walker, it did achieve its goal of removing the Republican majority in the State Senate. One out of two is pretty good considering the recall effort was outspent 7-to-1.

In fact, it's pretty darn good, because Walker doesn't write legislation, he just signs it. With control of the Senate, we may actually be able to do more than we could with the governorship but not control of the Senate. Walker may not have lost his job, but he lost his party's control of the State Senate.

Hopefully, now we can get some compromise out of the far-right out-of-state controlled Republicans.

Senate Majority Leader Mark Miller said,

“Tonight, Wisconsinites across the 21st Senate District elected a new State Senator," Miller said in a statement. "By electing a Democratic Senate, the people of Wisconsin have opened the door to responsible dialogue and if needed provide a bulwark against continued political extremism, and restored checks and balances to the Wisconsin Legislature. I look forward to working again with Senator-elect Lehman in the State Senate in the coming months.”