In Wisconsin, Feingold ousted, GOP wins governor's race

Ron Johson, a businessman who sought support from the tea party toppled one of the Senate's most prominent liberals Tuesday to become the state's first Republican senator in 18 years.

In his bid to bring down three-term Democrat Russ Feingold, Ron Johnson touted his accounting and business experience, saying he knew how to create jobs and balance budgets.

Johnson, who ran a plastics company for 31 years, rose to prominence after giving two well-received tea party speeches. He said his top priority would be to repeal the health care overhaul.

Feingold campaigned heavily on his reputation as a maverick, billing himself as an independent who fights for the people of Wisconsin instead of kowtowing to his party or special interests.

Johnson, who spent about $7 million of his own money on his campaign, painted Feingold as a Washington insider who contributed to the nation's debt. Feingold countered that his challenger offered only rhetoric instead of substantive solutions.

In the race for Wisconsin governor, conservative Republican Scott Walker rode his promise to both cut taxes and government spending in a win Tuesday over Democrat Tom Barrett to become Wisconsin's first Republican governor in eight years.

With 48 percent of precincts reporting, Walker won 54 percent to 45 percent, based on unofficial results.

Voters who backed Walker said they thought he was the better choice to turn around the state's economy, spur job creation and cut the bureaucracy. Several also said they liked his opposition to a federally funded high-speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee.

The seat was open after unpopular two-term Democratic incumbent Gov. Jim Doyle decided not to seek a third term. Republicans attempted to link Barrett to Doyle at every turn, with ads labeling Barrett like Doyle "only worse."

The Johnson-Feingold contest was one of the nation's most-watched Senate races.

Feingold famously worked with Republican Sen. John McCain in 2002 to pass the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill, which attempted to limit the influence of special-interest money in political campaigns.

However, a recent Supreme Court decision rolled back some of the law's provisions, making it easier for corporations and unions to spend money in elections. That decision directly affected the Wisconsin race: Outside groups poured $1.7 million into ads supporting Johnson compared to $140,000 for Feingold.

At first, Feingold's seat had been seen as one of the safer ones. Observers initially predicted that former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson was the only Republican who could give the 57-year-old Feingold a serious challenge. When Thompson declined to run, Republicans seemed to have no worthy alternative.

But Johnson jumped in the race and ran on his business credentials.

Johnson, 55, scored well in early polls, resonating with voters who felt Feingold had been in office too long or who were frustrated that President Barack Obama had not delivered on his message of change.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)