Governor Scott Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will meet for their final debate tonight before the recall election next Tuesday, June 5. The debate, hosted by Marquette Law School and cosponsored by WisPolitics.com, begins at 9 pm. It will be televised locally on WKOW (channel 27) and the following stations around Wisconsin: WISN in Milwaukee, WBAY in Green Bay, WAOW in Wausau, WXOW in La Crosse and WQOW in Eau Claire. Livestream coverage will also be available on WKOW.com.
Two polls released yesterday show a close race. A Marquette University poll shows Governor Walker with a 7-point lead over Barrett, 52-45, and a Barrett campaign poll shows a dead heat of 49-49.
Latest campaign finance reports show that Walker raised nearly $22 million during the most recent reporting period (January 1 through May 21), while Barrett raised just over $4 million. Walker has raised more than $31 million since 2011. Due to a loophole in state law, Walker was able to exceed the $10,000 individual contribution limits during the recall signature collection period. He can continue to exceed the limit if funds raised are applied to expenses incurred during the signature collection period.