In opening her concession speech Tuesday night, Democrat Mary Burke used a quote from legendary Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi.
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up,” Burke quoted Lombardi.
She had taken the stage, when it was clear Gov. Scott Walker had defeated Burke. She praised the family and key staffers who surrounded her and urged her supporters not to give up.
“This campaign is over but the fight for these values and that fair shot that is so important to Wisconsinites and our future is not," Burke said.
"A fair shot means equality in pay and opportunities. It means women’s rights to make our own decisions regarding our bodies. It means preserving our great natural resources for future generations. It means the right for workers to collectively bargain,” Burke said.
Burke says a fair shot also means raising the minimum wage.
She went on to say that if she’s learned anything over the past 13 months of campaigning for Wisconsin governor, it’s that the people of Wisconsin are resilient.
Burke held her election night party at the Overture Center in Madison and from the beginning the crowd was rather subdued. When the race was called for Gov. Walker, Burke told the crowd of hundreds that election results and political fights don’t matter nearly as much as Wisconsin values.
As Burke supporters began to leave the deflated scene, activity was picking outside. A group of self-proclaimed solidarity singers, that came about during the fight over Act 10, formed a ring below the brilliantly lit state capital building - their songs rang through the chilly air, in defiance of Scott Walker.
