Several hundred people packed into the hall at UAW Local 72 in Kenosha Monday to cheer on Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the waning hours before today’s historic recall election. Warming up the crowd were Kenosha state Senator Bob Wirch, who survived a recall last year; state Representative Peter Barca; and former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold.
“Are you ready for a new governor? I brought one with me,” Feingold said. “Unlike our divide-and-conquer governor, this man knows how to bring people together.”
Barret–with his shirt sleeves rolled up and his voices hoarse–criticized Governor Scott Walker for raising millions of dollars from out-of-state donors, for backing Voter ID, and for rolling back the equal pay law. Barrett urged everyone at the rally to take one person to the polls with them today. The Milwaukee Mayor told the crowd that “now is our time.”
AUDIO: Barrett firing up crowd (:30
Governor Walker Monday joined Republican leaders in speaking to several hundred people at Milwaukee’s Serb Hall. Walker told the crowd, “We’ve got a job to do to put more of our friends-and-neighbors back to work.”
Walker will be doing 11th hour campaigning today in Wauwatosa, Green Bay, Wausau, and Waukesha. Barrett is set to appear in Racine and Milwaukee.
Janet Hoff-WRJN contributed to this report