(CNN) – Mitt Romney praised Gov. Scott Walker's win in Wisconsin's recall election, describing Tuesday night's results as a victory for the GOP nationwide.
"Tonight's results will echo beyond the borders of Wisconsin. Governor Walker has shown that citizens and taxpayers can fight back – and prevail – against the runaway government costs imposed by labor bosses," Romney said in a statement.
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The presumptive GOP presidential nominee also called Walker to personally offer his congratulations over the phone Tuesday night, according to a Romney campaign official.
Walker beat back a recall challenge after he signed into law a controversial bill last year to curb collective bargaining rights for most public employees, resulting in mass protests and political backlash.
In Romney's statement, he said the election marked a turning point in the ideological war over spending.
"Tonight voters said 'no' to the tired, liberal ideas of yesterday, and 'yes' to fiscal responsibility and a new direction. I look forward to working with Governor Walker to help build a better, brighter future for all Americans," he said.
The election was also underlined with political implications for the presidential race, as the highly-charged fight raised questions over whether Wisconsin would remain a traditionally blue state this November.
While other high profile Democrats traveled to Wisconsin to campaign on Barrett's behalf, President Barack Obama largely stayed out of the recall contest, most visibly affirming his support in a Monday evening tweet.
Obama's campaign, however, released a statement late Tuesday night, calling the results disappointing but applauding the Democratic-led effort to challenge the governor.
"While tonight's outcome was not what we had hoped for – no one can dispute the strong message sent to Governor Walker. Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites from all walks of life took a stand against the politics of division and against the flood of secret and corporate money spent on behalf of Scott Walker," said the campaign's Wisconsin director, Tripp Wellde.
Wellde pointed to polling data that showed the president faring better than Romney among Wisconsin voters when asked about the general election on Tuesday. According to CNN exit polls, Obama would have carried the state with 54% to GOP candidate Mitt Romney's 42%.
"These data points clearly demonstrate a very steep pathway for Mitt Romney to recover in the state," he said.
– CNN's Ashley Killough and Steve Brusk contributed to this report.
Also see:
Barrett says Obama visit would have been distraction
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Say goodbye to Milwaukee capitol, Barrett.
Mitt Romney will take a lot of credit for Walker's victory.
Walker's election proves that you can fool some of the people all of the time..Especially with big money and backing from the 1%. The sorrowful speaker on your show was right "democracy is dead" the brown shirts are taking over we should all be very afraid. If they prevail in November we will all have the freedom to live the restricted lives allow to us by a governing extreme political ideology.
We see what austerity is doing in Europe. Get ready for it if the Republicans take over. England is in a double dip recession.
oh, the fight is on MITTEN's.....say what you want, money talks but come this November, Obama will win re-election because we ARE AMERICAN and WE VALUE our RIGHTS and WE SIMPLY WILL NOT BE BOUGHT OUT BY YOU!
Way to go Gov Walker! The citizens of WI saw the tactics of fear peddled by the Dems for what they were, and I have no doubt the rest of the nation will vote Romney later this year.
Walker won by a bigger margin then first elected !!
MAJOR VICTORY !!
Today the PEOPLE voted for an AMERICAN NATION
and overwhelmingly voted NO to an Obama Nation !!!!
How are we supposed to grow the economy when the GOP is threatening fiscal disaster at every turn and refusing to cooperate with policies that actually create jobs? Something needs to be done...
Sorry your bubble Ronmey but Wisconsin voters show more support for Obama than you Ronmey. The Democrats and Union are not done by a long shot.
Obama 2012
confused. so many contradictions. I don't think any side will get what they want with Romney in charge. I'd rather vote for Gingrich, at least we know what crazy things he will do in office
Yes, you can fight back and win against those dirty ole "union bosses", but you sure as hell can't fight back against all that corporate money, can you? GOP....buying one election after another.
Romney supports the corporate fat-cats and will not support working people. Nothing new here!
President Barack Obama largely stayed out of the recall contest, most visibly affirming his support in a Monday evening tweet. Should be interpreted as: President Obama voted present again.
Walker lied to the people of Wisconsin when he ran for governor, and once he was in office, he betrayed the police and fire personnel and everyone else in the public sector who voted for him.
The only reason Walker won was because of Citizens United, which is turning our country into a corporate plutocracy.
It makes me sick how stupid people are to believe the GOP and their lies!
That loud thump you heard tonight was just the next blow to liberal policies and ideology. Just wait until November. The bedwetters will be rioting in the streets.
Mitt had nothing to say before this recall election...BUT NOW, he'll take all the credit for it. He also saved Detroit. Probably invented the Internet, too. What a nut.
Mitt "…I look forward to working with Governor Walker to help build a better, brighter future for all Americans." only one problem with that Mitt, still you haven't won an election. It is not a given or patriarchal thing, there is a thing called democracy people have to choose you first. For that you need to have a platform and run with definite goal, tell us what you will do as our president. We admire your ambition though!
He can't use the CNN exit poll about Obama and Romney. They were so far off on today's race!! Called it a tie... he wins in a landslide .
Were those Wisconsin exit polls showing Obama ahead of Romney 54% to 42% the same ones that showed the Wisconsin governor's race as a dead heat?
Yes, we are tired of liberal ideas from yesterday!
And the Vulture Capitalist swoops in after the kill.....................to take claim.
For Romney, the most important thing that came from this event was the opportunity to get accurate exit pole data on the Presidential election.
Obama would have carried the state with 54% to GOP candidate Mitt Romney's 42%
Big money wins out sad day for the american people.
The guy who won was saying the exact opposite of what Obama was. Romney will win too, for the good of the country. Everything will get better with a new president who understands that raising taxes and making government bigger is not the answer.
You mean raising taxes and making government bigger is not the answer? Well, in that case, Romney is the better choice. Obama had his chance and didn't do squat. His policies just made things worse. Get him out of there and bring in someone qualified for the job.
Exit polls were way off! How can you end this story like that. Shame