Posted on 04/30/2002 7:49:27 PM PDT by July 4th
Ryan lost his own community in early returns Tuesday
Hales Corners Village President Jim Ryan lost his own community as early returns Tuesday night showed Scott Walker leading in the race for Milwaukee County Executive.
Ryan lost Hales Corners by a margin of 50 votes with 47% of eligible voters in the community turning up to vote.
Early results showed Walker, a Republican member of the State Assembly from Wauwatosa, with a nearly 300-vote edge over Ryan. As of 8:30 p.m. River Hills, West Milwaukee and Hales Corners all went for Walker.
With 10 of 463 precincts reporting, Walker had 2,736 votes, or 54%, while Ryan had 2,362, or 46%, according to unofficial returns.
Voter turnout appeared to be at least as strong as in the primary and probably heavier, according to election officials.
Walker and Ryan are vying to replace F. Thomas Ament, who resigned in February amid public outrage over generous pension changes proposed by his administration and approved by the County Board.
The election has been a rapid-fire event - eight weeks from registration to runoff. Walker and Ryan emerged as the top finishers April 2, after a six-person primary that featured 14 major forums. Since then, the two have squared off at least 28 more times, an average of one a day. Though attendance waned at some of the final forums, in the past two months several thousand voters have seen the candidates side by side in person.
On April 2, more than 139,000 people voted, with turnout in Milwaukee at 22%. In the suburbs, turnout was between 30% and 40%. That day, however, there were other races on the ballot that helped draw voters to the polls.
Turnout Tuesday was one measure of the public's interest in county government and the changes that are taking place. Like the executive's race today, upcoming recall votes against county supervisors will take place on days when no other election is on the ballot.
Barring a recount, the new executive likely will be sworn in May 9 or 10, county officials said.
------------------LATEST--------------------
Milwaukee County Executive
REPORTING 86%
Scott WALKER - 96,734 - 58%
Jim RYAN - 71,444 - 42%
My bet is that if the lead holds up in the mid-to high 50's that Madison will sit up and take note--and maybe even the DNC/RNC bozos in D.C.
In a local way, this is huge. The people decided that they wanted something other than the graft that was here. And Walker has not hid how conservative he is.
Here's something I posted on the Wisconsin board earlier:
Interesting anecdote.
I have a coworker who is your standard middle-class, educated, but lifelong dem (oh, yes, he is black). He and some others were talking about the election. They called them the young guy and the old guy.
This life-long dem said he is going to vote Republican for the first time in his life because the old guy is the same as they last and will just raise our taxes more.
There is some hope out there.
*Applause* !
I think Walker will do a great job.
Ryan Concedes, Walker Projected Winner
Unofficial Returns: Ryan Loses Hales Corners
Posted: 8:23 p.m. CDT April 30, 2002
Updated: 10:08 p.m. CDT April 30, 2002
MILWAUKEE --Unofficial results show State Rep. Scott Walker wins the race for Milwaukee County executive.
The 34-year-old becomes the youngest Milwaukee County executive since the post was created in 1960. "Starting tomorrow, we will begin our campaign to restore county government and I need your help. We can improve county government," Walker said.
Hales Corners Village President Jim Ryan conceded Tuesday night, thanking voters for their support.
With 86 percent of the vote counted, Walker has 96,734 votes, or 58 percent, while Ryan has 71,444 or 42 percent, according to unofficial returns. Four aldermanic districts in the city of Milwaukee have not reported their numbers. The suburbs results are all in.
Walker is a Republican state representative from Wauwatosa. Ryan is president of the village of Hales Corners.
According to unofficial returns, Ryan lost Hales Cornes by 50 votes.
The winner will take over the job vacated by the retirement of Tom Ament.
He left office in February rather than face a recall election prompted by lucrative pension benefits approved over the previous two years.
Ryan, 34, and Walker, 58, were the top two vote-getters in a primary election April 2.
Citizens launched the recall campaign after disclosures about lucrative pension benefits for county employees that were approved over the previous two years.
BraveMan Note: The candidates' ages are transposed in the article. Walker is 34 whereas Ryan is 58.
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