MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker, fresh from becoming the nation’s first governor to survive a recall election, wants to go about mending Wisconsin’s political divide in an egalitarian way: over brats and beer.

Walker defeated Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett on Tuesday for the second time in year and a half, turning back a recall effort that began with the collection of more than 900,000 signatures seeking his ouster. It was only the third gubernatorial recall in U.S. history.

Now the rising Republican star is focusing his message on what lies ahead. His term runs through 2014 in a state that is still bitterly divided over his move to end collective bargaining rights for most public employees.

“It’s time to put our differences aside and find ways to work together to move Wisconsin forward,” Walker said in an interview minutes after his victory. “I think it’s important to fix things, but it’s also important to make sure we talk about it and involve people in the process.”

Walker planned to invite all members of the Legislature to meet as soon as next week over burgers, brats and “maybe a little bit of good Wisconsin beer.”

“The first step is just bringing people together and figuring out some way if we can thaw the ice,” he said.

Democrats, including Barrett, pledged to work together, too. But the wounds are deep following the rancor of the recall, which was spurred by Walker’s surprise proposal to go after public employee unions.

“It is up to all of us, their side and our side, to listen. To listen to each other,” Barrett said.

State Rep. Peter Barca, Democratic minority leader in the Assembly, said healing Wisconsin won’t be easy.

“I hope Gov. Walker understands and stays true to his pledge to build consensus and be more inclusive going forward,” Barca said.

With nearly all precincts reporting, Walker had 53 percent of the vote, compared with 46 percent for Barrett. The margin of victory was wider than many expected and slightly better than Walker’s 5.8 percentage-point victory over Barrett in the 2010 race. Some 2.5 million voters cast their ballots.

Democrats and organized labor spent millions to remove Walker, but found themselves hopelessly outspent by Republicans from across the country who donated record-setting sums to the governor’s campaign.

Walker’s win sets the stage for what is expected to be a hard-fought presidential battle.

Both sides in the presidential contest warned against reading too much into Tuesday’s results, but Walker’s solid victory is a warning for President Barack Obama in a state he comfortably carried in 2008 and that Democrats have won in six straight presidential elections. Mitt Romney has reason to be optimistic, given Walker’s own vigorous ground game, the framework of which he will inherit.

Still, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate showed no remorse for pursuing the recall, which was pushed by powerful union leaders and citizens with little or no political experience.

“This is a fight worth having,” Tate said. “Some things are worth losing over.”

Walker entered the national spotlight last year when he unveiled plans to plug a $3.6 billion budget shortfall in part by taking away the union rights of most public workers and requiring them to pay more for their health insurance and pension benefits. It was one of his first moves in office, and it was explosive.