The general election, the first gubernatorial recall in Wisconsin history and only the third nationwide, promises to be a different beast altogether. Walker pushed through historic legislation that changed the state but also divided it. His move to all but end collective bargaining for most public workers in the state combined with cuts to education led to the largest continuous protest in state history, the genesis for the recalls that followed.

On Tuesday night, Barrett accused Walker of causing such bitter divisions in the state that "neighbors don't want to talk to neighbors."

"It does not have to be that way in Wisconsin," he said.

Barrett said rather than focusing on ideology, he would work to help create jobs. He has said he would work to restore wider collective bargaining rights for public workers, but rather than pledging to veto a budget that doesn't achieve that, he said he would take other steps such as calling a special session of the Legislature or introducing a standalone bill.

Falk, like Barrett, ran for statewide office twice before. Jim Doyle defeated her in the 2002 Democratic primary for governor, and Republican J.B. Van Hollen narrowly beat Falk in the 2006 election for attorney general.