Rick Santorum made clear Friday that he stood with Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker against efforts by state Democrats to recall him.
Santorum recorded a robocall expressing support for Walker against the recall efforts and also participated in phone-banking on the governor’s behalf. Santorum’s campaign told The Hill that the former Pennsylvania senator had recorded a robocall on Friday. The campaign did not, however, pass along the text of the call.
{mosads}Santorum’s robocall and phone-banking came the same day that a government accountability board in the state ordered a recall election for the governor in response to a 1 million-vote petition by Wisconsin voters pushing for a vote.
The recall election is the result of a 2010 battle between Walker and Democrats and labor union groups over a controversial bill that would roll back organizing rights for public sector unions. The law garnered national attention and, for a time, resulted in a number of state legislators fleeing the state to block the law’s movement through the state legislature. In backing the law, Walker argued that it was essential to balancing the state’s budget.
The Democratic primary for the recall election will likely be held on May 8, between a number of candidates including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. The general election between the Democratic nominee and Walker will be June 5.
In a statement in response to the announcement of the recall election, a spokesman for Walker said the election had been expected.
“We believe a majority of Wisconsin voters will stand with Governor Walker’s record of laying the foundation for a more successful Wisconsin while moving the state forward and against the Democrats’ failed policies that would take Wisconsin back to the days of a $3.6 billion budget deficit,” Walker’s campaign communications director, Ciara Matthews, said in a statement.
Santorum’s support came just ahead of Wisconsin’s April 3 Republican primary.