Gov. Scott Walker celebrates his victory. (REUTERS/Darren Hauck)
Mitt Romney hailed Republican Gov. Scott Walker's victory over Democratic challenger Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee in Tuesday's Wisconsin recall election, and said the vote has national implications.
"Tonight's results will echo beyond the borders of Wisconsin," the presumptive GOP presidential nominee said in a statement released on his campaign website.
Walker's win shows that "citizens and taxpayers can fight back — and prevail — against the runaway government costs imposed by labor bosses," Romney said. "Tonight voters said 'no' to the tired, liberal ideas of yesterday, and 'yes' to fiscal responsibility and a new direction."
The Obama campaign, meanwhile, tried to find some positives in Tuesday's vote.
State campaign director Tripp Wellde said, "While tonight's outcome was not what we had hoped for — no one can dispute the strong message sent to Governor Walker."
Wellde also highlighted exit polls showing Obama beating Romney 52 percent to 43 percent in Wisconsin, which he said demonstrated the "very steep pathway for Mitt Romney to recover in the state."
But, as The Hill newspaper pointed out, "the same exit polls showed a dead heat between Walker and Barrett."
