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Tuesday night at 8 p.m., just as the polls were closing in Milwaukee, the winds that had been blowing constantly for weeks finally died down, and the flag atop City Hall at last lay limp. But the election itself packed the power of a gale force with an unexpectedly huge turnout that left David Prosser in danger of becoming the rare incumbent Supreme Court justice to lose, while victorious County Executive candidate Chris Abele was buying drinks for all.

Chris Abele (photos by Michael Horne)

Earlier, at Cass Street School, where Ward 54 consistently has the highest numerical vote of any of the city’s 312 wards, over 900 people had voted by 7:30 p.m., and still the line led out the door. By the end of voting, 112,169 of the city’s 312,480 registered voters had cast their ballots. That turnout, at 38.78 percent, was more than half again the optimistic prediction of 25 percent for what is usually a staid spring election.

Inside the City of Milwaukee Election Commission offices on the 5th floor of City Hall a number of reporters were awaiting the earliest returns. Also present were Sen. Lena Taylor and Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate, there to take his party’s temperature in this off-year, non-partisan election.

“We are the battleground state,” Taylor said, as the first returns flashed on a screen, showing strong leads for Abele and Supreme Court challenger Joanne Kloppenburg.

The Election Commission office was rather still, which is considered a good sign among those whose job it is to hold elections. Six blue bins – emergency voting materials ready to be dispatched to polls if needed – remained unused.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett

The excitement that night was not here, but at the Historic Pabst Brewery’s Best Place tavern where supporters of Chris Abele were there to witness the political neophyte’s victory and acceptance speech. The former brewery visitor’s center, once again a popular tourist destination, was packed to capacity with hundreds of well-wishers and political types.

Among those in attendance was County Supervisor Gerry Broderick, who says he thinks he will run again for his seat next year. He was joined by his colleague Marina Dimitrijevic who says she’s ready to run for chairman of the County Board next term.

Also on hand was a sizable contingent from the Milwaukee Common Council, including Ald. Bob Bauman, chatting with his colleague Ashanti Hamilton, who looked like he was ready to go jogging, a blue jean-clad Ald. Tony Zielinski and Nic Kovac, who obligingly posed for a photograph with Larraine McNamara McGraw, who once held his seat. Their leader, Council President Willie Hines, Jr., who plans to become mayor next year, also worked the room in his neat suit.

Chris Abele, State Rep. Josh Zepnick and communications consultant Phil Walzak

State Rep. Josh Zepnick was in attendance, as was former State Rep. Sheldon Wasserman, who gave up his seat to run against Sen. Alberta Darling, who beat him in a squeaker. He might have a chance to take her on again, as the state is gripped with a historic case of recall fever, but insiders say he may have to do battle with Sandy Pasch, his replacement in the legislature, who might also want to move to the Senate. (She tells people the unions prefer her to Wasserman.)

As the customers continued to file in, a jovial Jim Haertel, the owner, served Milwaukee beers from Lakefront Brewery and elsewhere to the thirsty, reminding each customer that “Chris Abele is buying this one.”

Abele, who at the time was secluded in a V.I.P. area (which was somewhat grandly and rather tastelessly labeled as such) bought many, many beers.

As the television people adjusted their focus and found their marks, a large screen television (set to Channel 4) showed the results. Ironically, that station’s co-anchor, Carole Meekins, repeatedly suggested that Republicans had to be happy with how David Prosser was doing, although it seemed clear to nearly anyone else that this was not the sort of night he had been hoping for.

As it became clear the suburban vote would not be sufficient to move Republican state representative Jeff Stone to the Courthouse for a year, it was only a matter of time for the victor to claim his prize. Each time new results for Abele were posted, the crowd emitted a cheer, as it did each time a pro-Kloppenburg turn was taken in the see-sawing race for the Supreme Court.

Emergency voting materials

Mayor Barrett, working the room, took a call, while his Chief of Staff Pat Curley chatted with friends. Phil Walzak, who ran both Abele’s campaign as well as Barrett’s unsuccessful bid for Governor, had the panicked-yet-confident look of one who is waiting for a long ordeal to at last come to an end – and with a victory this time.

Jim Rowen, a longtime political observer, was there with his wife, Susan McGovern. Both are veterans of numerous elections, including a losing bid for Madison mayor for Jim, and a famous presidential defeat in 1972 for Susan’s father George McGovern.

Shortly after 10 p.m. the local newscasts were projecting Abele as the winner, and while the evening news was on, the campaign party became a studio of sorts for several TV stations. Abele’s backers gathered on the dais where a healthy looking Barrett gave the introductory remarks in his gray suit.

“I’m very happy to be at a victory party,” he said, in a pointed reference to his most recent election.

It was clear to this group that if Barrett had won, and Scott Walker had not become governor, then this election, and any number of them to follow during the recalls, would not have taken place.

But it did, and Barrett’s man was the victor.

Turning to Abele, who, with his wife Miriam, had emerged from his seclusion, Barrett said, “It is nice to have a person who brings people together rather than tearing them apart.”

It then being the candidate’s turn to speak, Abele showed that he still has a few political tricks to learn. He began by graciously thanking his opponent for his concession of defeat, and then went on to thank his supporters and staff.

“He’s thanking everybody except his wife, and look at her. She’s shooting daggers at him,” one observer noted, as Mrs. Abele stood in a place she probably never bargained for when she agreed to marry the Boston-born millionaire and philanthropist.

Imagine! And now she’ll have to serve tea to Gerry Broderick and Peggy West!

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