First Lady Michelle Obama visited Madison Tuesday to encourage students to vote and volunteer for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke.
The event, held at the Overture Center, drew 1,250 ticketed Burke supporters, according to estimates from event officials.
The First Lady, flanked by University of Wisconsin-Madison students clad in their school colors, lauded Burke’s position on education, women’s rights and the economy.
Obama said Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race is a national issue.
Susan Happ, running for state Attorney General, and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., also spoke at the event. Pocan echoed Obama’s sentiment that increased voter turnout among students would ensure Burke’s victory on Nov. 4.
“Wisconsin is not a purple state,” Pocan said. “When people vote, we are a beautiful shade of indigo blue.”
Updated story to come.
