2018 Wisconsin Senate Race: Baldwin Wins Re-Election Over Vukmir

WISCONSIN -- Just after 8 p.m., and with scarcely a single vote tallied by election officials, ABC news called the Wisconsin U.S. Senate race in favor of Tammy Baldwin over Republican challenger Leah Vukmir based on exit polling data the organization collected in the Badger State during election day. Fox News called the race less than 20 minutes later.

Baldwin's victory - with barely any votes tallied, reflected the latest Marquette University Law School Poll which had the Republican State Representative from Brookfield trailing Baldwin by 11 percentage points going into Tuesday's election.

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The Wisconsin Senate race was one that the GOP really wanted. According to a Huffpost article Tuesday night, conservative groups poured more money into that race to boost Republicans than into any other this cycle.

"I became the top target of special interests, super PACs in the U.S. I decided to wear this like a badge of courage," Baldwin said in a campaign event held in Milwaukee with former President Barack Obama. Baldwin's victory is the first big one for a Democrat after Wisconsin went for Trump in 2016, and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson fended off Democratic challenger Russ Feingold who was widely expected to win back his seat.

In a recent debate, Baldwin hit Vukmir on the issue of health care, saying that her opponent sides more with insurance providers than with patients.

"No wonder she's worried about private insurance, at every vote on health issues, she's seem to have sided more with private insurers than she has with patients," Baldwin said. "Whether that's her vote to deny patients oral chemo or her vote to deny deaf children cochlear implants, or hearing aids or her vote to prevent insurance companies from expanding mental health coverage, on and on, she cares more about making sure that costs are low for insurance companies than for Wisconsin patients," she said of the 16-year politician.

The Money Race

Baldwin also won the money race by a more than comfortable margin.

According to Opensecrets.org, Baldwin raised just over $29 million during the 2013-2018 election cycle. She is recorded as having about $2.4 million cash on hand, after spending about $26.7 million.

In contrast, Opensecrets says that Vukmir's campaign raised a total of $5.2 million, and has spent $4.1 million over that time. Her campaign has about $1.1 million on-hand as of Monday.

Baldwin's top five donors are as follows:

1. University of Wisconsin $369,862
2. J Street $188,788
3. Democracy Engine $122,102
4. League of Conservation Voters $89,835
5. Womencount PAC $89,659

Vukmir's top five donors are as follows:

1. Hendricks Holding Co $23,450
2. Abc Supply $20,450
3. Michael, Best & Friedrich $13,550
4. Klondike Cheese Co $13,100
5. Hartung Brothers Inc $11,800

Patch File Photos, Campaign Handout Photos