Kohl endorses Barrett

MADISON (AP) - Retiring U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl is supporting Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the Democratic recall election primary.

Many Democrats wanted Kohl to run against Republican Gov. Scott Walker, but he stayed on the sidelines.

Kohl said in a statement Wednesday that he doesn't normally endorse in a primary, but he is this time because this is no ordinary election.

The endorsement comes on the heels of the AFL-CIO announcing it was backing Barrett's Democratic challenger Kathleen Falk . Every union that has endorsed so far has backed Falk.

The campaign is on hyper drive with the May 8 Democratic primary is less than four weeks away. The general election, where Walker will face whoever emerges from the Democratic primary, is June 5.