Barrett, former rivals say they’re united against Walker

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said all is well between him and the three candidates that he defeated in a Democratic recall primary this week.

All four appeared together on Wednesday in a symbolic show of unity. They said they’re unified in their determination to beat Republican Gov. Scott Walker in next month’s recall election.

The three defeated candidates took turns praising Barrett and his ability to repair the rift created by Walker.

While 670,000 people voted in the highly contested Democratic primary, the Republican primary in which Walker faced only token opposition drew a surprisingly high 646,000 voters.

Barrett said Democrats are “heartened” by their turnout, and said Walker raised so much money it’s no surprise Republican turnout was also high. Barrett predicts Democratic unity will overcome the hefty GOP cash advantage.