Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker survived a recall attempt tonight.

Though early exit poll results appeared to show a tight race, the major news networks called the election for the first-term Republican within an hour of the 9 p.m. poll closing.

With 31 percent of the vote in, Walker had 59 percent to Democratic opponent Tom Barrett’s 41 percent.

The race had become something of a proxy for the presidential election, with labor activists hoping their get-out-the-vote efforts could offset Walker’s financial advantage.

Still, President Barack Obama and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney mostly stayed away from the fray, with the president only sending a tweet Monday that said Barrett would “make an outstanding governor.”