Dem Says She Won WI Judicial Race

Politico reports:

A recount and possibly a lengthy legal battle may be necessary to decide the closely watched Wisconsin Supreme Court race in which an incumbent conservative judge trails a liberal challenger, but the fight over what it all means has already begun.

Democrats hailed unofficial counts showing JoAnne Kloppenburg with a razor-thin 204-vote edge over Justice David Prosser as a repudiation of Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s attempt to reduce union collective bargaining power - and a pivot point that could fuel their party’s efforts heading into the 2012 elections.

Republicans cautioned that the count was not official, suggested the possibility of voter fraud, and expressed confidence Prosser could win a recount. At the same time they asserted that should Kloppenburg prevail in the end, it would reflect nothing more than a strong effort by a union machine in a low-turnout election.

Advocates for stricter election laws, meanwhile, bemoaned the record-setting amount of outside spending and nasty tone in the race, as well as the apparent likelihood of protracted litigation, which election law expert Rick Hasen predicted “could undermine public confidence in both the judiciary and Wisconsin’s electoral process.”

Election officials predicted the unofficial tally would shift as local officials verified the counts and a recount, which is considered very likely regardless of the final count, could start this month

But when Kloppenburg declared victory Wednesday afternoon, it sent shivers of glee through Democratic circles from Madison to Washington, where progressive groups that weighed in on Kloppenburg’s behalf are already planning for their next front in Wisconsin - a campaign to recall Republican senators who voted for Walker’s collective bargaining reforms.