Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has his first TV ad in the state’s gubernatorial recall, with the candidate pitching himself as a consensus-builder against Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
“Isn’t it time to end the civil war in Wisconsin? Scott Walker has divided our state — and while he’s pursued his ideological agenda, last year Wisconsin lost more jobs than any state in the country. We can’t afford to have a Governor who says, ‘It’s my way or the highway.’
“As Governor I’ll focus on jobs and education. And I’ll fight to restore collective bargaining rights for teachers and public employees. I’m Tom Barrett, and it’s time to bring Wisconsin together.”
The version of the ad above mentions that Barrett has been endorsed by former Congressman Dave Obey. In other media markets, it will feature support for Barrett by other Democratic names: Congressman Ron Kind, Former Congressman Steve Kagen, and state Sen. Jon Erpenbach.
Barrett was previously the Democratic nominee for governor in 2010, losing to Walker by 52%-47% in that Republican wave year. Now in the Democratic primary, organized labor is widely supporting former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, and have opposed Barrett because he has feuded with the public employee union leaders on city issues.
Also running are state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout and Secretary of State Doug La Follette. The Democratic primary will be on May 8, and the general election on June 5.
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