NBC15 Madison

http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/Race-for-the-White-House-Early-Wins-177577891.html

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — State Assemblyman Mark Pocan has won the U.S. House race for Wisconsin’s 2nd District, keeping the Madison-area seat with Democrats.

The seat was held by Tammy Baldwin for seven terms, but she gave it up to run for the U.S. Senate.

Pocan defeated Republican challenger

Like Baldwin, Pocan is openly gay and has championed greater rights for gays and women. He has also served as a co-chairman of the Assembly’s Joint Finance Committee, which he credits for giving him valuable experience in writing budgets.

Baldwin had held the seat since 1998.

http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/Pocan-Wins-Democrats-Keep-Madison-area-House-Seat-177576631.html

On Thursday afternoon, President Obama will campaign in Madison.  He’ll address a crowd at UW-Madison.   Here is social media coverage of the event.  (click on box)

Click on box for Storify coverage of Paul Ryan Rally in Janesville.

Here’s how social media covered yesterday’s shooting at the Temple in Oak Creek. Here’s our storify timeline we created: (just click on the icon-box)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican state Sen. Terry Moulton has defeated Democrat Kristen Dexter in Tuesday’s recall elections.

Democrats angry with Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s contentious plan that all but ended most public workers’ union rights forced the governor, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, Fitzgerald and two other GOP senators into recalls. They also were trying to capture an open seat in Tuesday’s elections.

Walker claimed the plan was needed to control the state budget, but many public workers opposed erosion of their bargaining rights.

Dexter was making a bid to rejoin the Legislature after losing her state Assembly seat in the 2010 elections. Moulton, from Chippewa Falls, was first elected to the Senate that same year.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Veteran Senate Republican Leader Scott Fitzgerald has defeated Democrat Lori Compas in Tuesday’s recall elections.

Democrats angry with Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s contentious plan that all but ended most public workers’ union rights forced the governor, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, Fitzgerald and two other GOP senators into recalls. They also were trying to capture an open seat in Tuesday’s elections.

Walker claimed he had to impose the union restrictions to balance the state budget. Democrats saw the moves as a direct attack on organized labor.

Compas, a Fort Atkinson photographer, has never held public office and faced a difficult fight against Fitzgerald. He has represented his southeastern Wisconsin district in the Senate for nearly two decades.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch has survived a recall attempt, defeating Democratic challenger Mahlon Mitchell in a historic recall election.

The Republican Kleefisch was the first lieutenant governor in the nation’s history to face a recall election. Now she’s also the first to survive one.

Kleefisch faced a recall along with her boss, Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Democrats and unions had been angered after Walker and the GOP-led Legislature took on public-sector union rights last year.

Walker and Kleefisch both won their races Tuesday.

Since 1970, Wisconsin has elected its governor and lieutenant governor as a pair on a joint ticket. But because of how these recalls were conducted, the races for governor and lieutenant governor were listed separately.

(AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has survived a recall election, defeating the Democratic mayor of Milwaukee to keep the state’s top political job.

Walker becomes the first governor in American history to stay in office after a recall challenge.

The Republican governor rose to national prominence last year after taking on public-sector unions shortly after being sworn in. That fight also triggered the recall and set up a rematch with Tom Barrett, who was defeated by Walker in 2010.

Walker argued his policies were necessary to confront the state’s budget problems.

The loss is a blow to Democrats and to unions that spent millions to oust Walker.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker survives recall election, defeats Democrat Tom Barrett.

Breaking News: Madison Marathon’s Full Marathon (for Sunday) has been canceled because of predicted heat.

Wisconsin native Paul Hamm, the only U.S. man to win a world or Olympic all-around title, is retiring. Hamm told The Associated Press he is abandoning his comeback for the London Olympics because his body can no longer handle the demands of training and competition. He says “your mind wants a certain outcome … but you can’t get your body to perform a certain way.”

Two big stories right now:   

Quarterback Tim Tebow has been traded from the Denver Broncos to the New York Jets. 

And the NFL has suspended New Orleans head coach Sean Payton for the 2012 season, and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is banned from the league indefinitely because of the team’s bounty program that targeted opposing players.