2010 Wisconsin Governor - Walker vs. Barrett

Wisconsin has a long history of elcting progressive politicians, first from the Republican Party, later from the Democratic Party.  Robert LaFollette and his sons were the typical mold for a Wisconsin governor for most of the 20th Century.  But during the Great Depression progressives swung toward the Democrats nationally; the state Republican Party became more conservative, and the state Democratic Party began to grow.

During the mid-Twentieth Century, Wisconsin favored liberal Democrats for its governors, including the famed Gaylord Nelson and Patrick Lucey.  But in the late 1900s, it became a laboratory for conservative politics under Tommy Thompson.  The pendulum swung back in 2002, when the state elected Jim Doyle governor.

Doyle was never extremely popular, and in 2010 he opted not to run for re-election.  The Republicans nominated Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, while the Democrats turned to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a favorite of the Obama Administration.