Barrett sees positives of new fundraising and poll numbers

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett says new fundraising and poll numbers bode well for him with the general recall election about a month away.

Barrett pointed not to his own fundraising totals, but to the money Gov. Scott Walker has raised. Walker's latest campaign finance report showed he raised $13 million in the first few months of this year--shattering all previous records. That meant Walker had raised $25-million since taking office and spent roughly $20 million of it. By contrast, Barrett said his campaign had spent less than $1 million, "So I am being outspent by Scott Walker probably to the tune of 20 to 1. And yet the polls are showing that I am now leading him in this race."

Indeed, a poll released this week by Marquette University showed Barrett leading Walker by one point among registered voters with Walker up by one among likely voters. It's essentially a dead heat, with both candidates well within the poll's margin of error.

Barrett faces former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, Secretary of State Doug La Follette and state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout in next Tuesday's Democratic primary.