The race between a conservative-leaning justice and his liberal challenger was too close to call early Wednesday, and a recount seemed possible, if not likely.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, incumbent David Prosser had 733,074 votes compared to JoAnne Kloppenburg’s 732,489 – a difference of just 585 votes out of more than 1.45 million cast.

Kloppenburg ended her campaign party at the Edgewater Hotel in Madison about 1 a.m., with some remarks to supporters who had spent most of the night sitting and standing around two television sets watching the vote totals increase for both Supreme Court candidates in an election that has seen an unprecedented amount of statewide and national attention.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett made an appearance at the event and said one of the reasons the election results were so close was the drama surrounding Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his bill that would require public employees to contribute more to their pensions and health care premiums, as well as limit their ability to collectively bargain for workplace conditions.

“If you look at this election which four weeks ago was a blowout and you had a sitting Supreme Court justice against a complete unknown and almost overnight it turned a race that was a 65-35 race into a nailbiter, it shows you there is unrest in the state,” said Barrett, a Democrat who lost to Walker in the November general election. “And people are really not happy with this divisive politics that we’ve seen in the state over the past couple months.”

Barrett added the people want the legislators and governor to work together and no matter who wins the election, the people of Wisconsin have sent a message.

Later in the day, voters said the enthusiasm at polling sites increased. Voter Matt Kearney said there was a line when he voted around 4:30 p.m. at Gates of Heaven Synagogue on the near-east side.

“It felt like a national election rather than a local election,” Kearny said. “There were people talking, and there was a certain energy.”

That energy is good for democracy, Barrett said, but he would not like to see it transferred to the judicial branch of government in practice. The hyper-partisan opinions that surrounded this election would make Wisconsin suffer as a state if the winning candidate brings that energy with them to the court when the court has to make a decision on the collective bargaining bill.

“Frankly, I would hope regardless of whichever candidate wins they would not allow this election to color their views of interpreting the law,” Barrett said. “I want an independent justice, and I don’t think this should be or was a referendum on the collective bargaining law. What we need to have is an independent judiciary that is independent of both parties.”

The Prosser campaign didn’t respond to calls for comment. Check back to badgerherald.com throughout the day Wednesday for updates on the race as its result becomes more clear.