Democrat Tammy Baldwin won her second term in the United States Senate race in Wisconsin around 9 p.m. Tuesday. Baldwin won against Republican challenger Leah Vukmir.
Baldwin pulled ahead with 55.4 percent, while Vukimir had 44.6 percent, according to the Associated Press.
“Each one of us is needed to move Wisconsin and the United States forward,” Baldwin said in her victory speech. “We can and we have that and we will make a change together.”
Baldwin’s campaign followed topics of healthcare, pre-existing conditions, student loan debt and supporting working-class Wisconsin families.
She was previously elected in the 2012 U.S. Senate race and became the first elected openly-gay congresswoman.
During her time in office, Baldwin said she wants to make sure young Wisconsinites are able to stay on their parents’ health care until age 26 and those with pre-existing conditions are protected.
An October 2018 Marquette Law School Poll projected Baldwin to win by 10 points among likely voters.
Christopher Murray, the lecturer and coordinator of student affairs at Marquette University Les Aspin Center for Government, said the Senate election was called relatively quickly.
“Baldwin was called early because it became clear early on that she did better in counties that you wouldn’t necessarily expect her to do well in — not that she won them, but did better than a (Democrat) normally would. They also had intel, I’m sure, about huge turnout (in) Madison and high turnout in Milwaukee,” Murray said in an email.
Colleen Coveney, a freshman in the College of Education, said she was excited Baldwin won.
“I think she has a lot of the same values as I do and she is very passionate about what she’s done,” Coveney said.
Coveney attended a bipartisan watch party in Johnston Hall on Election Night. While she voted in her home state of Indiana, Coveney said she is excited to see what Baldwin will do with her position in the state of Wisconsin.
Baldwin will begin her next term in office Jan. 3 and will work there for the next six years. She will be sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence.
Assistant News Editor Sarah Lipo contributed to this report.
