The relevant (most egregious) paragraph:
The first-term Republican was back on the ballot just a year and a half after his election. Enraged Democrats and labor activists gathered more than 900,000 signatures in support of the recall after they failed to stop Walker and his GOP allies in the state Legislature from stripping most public employees of their union right to collectively bargain.
I'm guessing the answer is the latter, but the former is certainly possible with 'journalists' these days.