A state that voted for a Democratic president supported a Republican governor.

In the US, Wisconsin held early gubernatorial elections, which were won by the current head of the state, Republican Scott Walker. Experts call the latest vote a barometer of public sentiment in the United States five months before the presidential election. The Republican's victory in the state, whose residents supported Democrat Barack Obama in 2008, was taken by Mitt Romney's campaign headquarters as a sign of impending triumph at the national level.

The need for early elections arose after Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed a law that curtails the rights of public employee unions and deprives officials of a number of social benefits. In his opinion, previously the trade unions were virtually omnipotent, which did not allow the state to reduce the budget deficit necessary by reducing the salaries of civil servants. The new rules provoked thousands of protests in Wisconsin and outraged members of the Democratic Party, who accused Mr. Walker of politicking: he allegedly deliberately weakens the position of labor unions, which traditionally support Democrats. As a result, opponents of the new law gained the support of more than 900 thousand state residents, thereby achieving re-elections. This has happened only twice in US history: in 1921 in North Dakota and nine years ago in California.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a Democrat, opposed Scott Walker in the election. However, he was unable to compete with the head of state: according to preliminary data, the Democrat was supported by 45% of voters, and the Republican by 54%. Thanks to this, Mr. Walker became the first governor in US history to be re-elected to his post following early voting.

The elections in Wisconsin became a federal event. Former US President Bill Clinton came to the state to support Tom Barrett. And the current head of state, Barack Obama, encouraged his fellow party member via Twitter. Republicans, in turn, collected record amounts of donations to Scott Walker's campaign headquarters.

“Walker’s victory proves that Wisconsin can be an even redder state, and that’s bad news for Obama,” said Ted Kousser, a professor of political science at the University of California at San Diego. Four years ago, Democrats were much more popular in the state: in the presidential election, Mr. Obama was ahead of his rival John McCain by 14%.

Current Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney took the election results in Wisconsin as a symbol of Americans' readiness for change. “Voters said no to tired and outdated liberal ideas, supporting fiscal responsibility and a new path to development,” he said. “Citizens and taxpayers stood up against the government's rampant spending imposed by union bosses.” Romney is confident: "The results of the vote will echo far beyond the borders of the state."

In turn, Democrats urge not to make an unofficial symbol of the Republicans, an elephant, out of the Wisconsin fly. They point to statewide polls showing Barack Obama's lead over Mitt Romney, as well as statistics showing that a Republican candidate has not won a presidential election in Wisconsin since 1984.

Pavel Tarasenko

Mitt Romney heads to the White House via Wisconsin