12:33 AM: Gableman takes more than three-fourths of Wisconsin counties
Justice Louis Butler won the state's two most populous counties big with 72 percent of the vote in Dane County and 59 percent in Milwaukee County.
But he only won another 13 counties, according to unofficial returns just after midnight with another couple of counties still out.
Butler won Eau Claire, Kenosha, La Crosse and Portage counties, all of which were key if he wanted to beat back the challenge of Burnett County Judge Michael Gableman.
But Gableman won just about everywhere else that mattered, including big margins in places like Waukesha County (67 percent), Ozaukee County (68 percent) and Washington County (70 percent).
It was also a good sign for Gableman when Racine County numbers came in. The county often comes down 50-50 in state races, but Gableman won 54 percent of the vote there.
See county-by-county results here.
-- By JR Ross
Labels: 2008 spring election