MADISON, Wis., Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Two Democratic state senators survived recall votes Tuesday in Wisconsin, leaving the Republican Party with a 17-16 state Senate majority.
Two of the six Republicans facing recalls lost last week, while incumbent Democrats have suffered no losses. Sen. Jim Holperin of Conover defeated Kim Simac, a Tea Party activist, Tuesday, while Sen. Bob Wirch of Pleasant Prairie beat Jonathan Seitz, a lawyer.
A third Democratic senator won a recall several weeks ago.
The end result is that Gov. Scott Walker's ability to pass legislation has been reduced since a single Republican defector can block any bill if the Democrats hold solid, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
"At the end of this historic recall effort, Democrats have the momentum," Wisconsin Democratic Chairman Mike Tate said. "No Democrat was defeated for standing up for our principles and standing up against the runaway, reckless agenda of Scott Walker."
The recall efforts were fallout from the bitter fight over Walker's bill to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights. Democratic senators left the state in what proved to be a futile effort to keep the bill from coming to a vote.
