'Too close to call:' Wisconsin Supreme Court race nears recount level

Wisconsin Supreme Court race `too close to call` as of 11 p.m. Tuesday

MADISON -- Liberal-backed Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Lisa Neubauer has a slight lead over her conservative opponent in a race that was within the margin for a recount as the vote count neared completion.

Neubauer led by less than 7,000 votes out of more than 1 million cast, or a little over a half percentage point.

FOX6’s Ashley Sears reports from Brian Hagedorn’s election night watch party

FOX6's Ashley Sears reports from Brian Hagedorn's election night watch party

FOX6’s Amy DuPont reports from Lisa Neubauer’s election night watch party

FOX6's Amy DuPont reports from Lisa Neubauer's election night watch party

If the loser is within 1 percentage point of the winner, they may request a recount. The last time that happened in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race was in 2011.

A Neubauer win would put liberals in position to capture majority control of the court next year. A Hagedorn victory would increase the conservative majority to 5-2 and ensure it will be maintained for years.

Both Hagedorn and Neubauer are state appeals court judges. The race is officially nonpartisan but is seen as a potential barometer of the mood in Wisconsin a year before the 2020 presidential primary.

Neubauer's campaign manager, Tyler Hendricks, issued this statement late Tuesday:

"This race is too close to call. We are almost assuredly headed to a recount. We are going to make sure every vote is counted. Wisconsinites deserve to know we have had a fair election and that every vote is counted."