MADISON, Wis. — It was too early to declare a winner Wednesday in Wisconsin's hotly contested U.S. Senate race that pit two-term Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin against Republican Eric Hovde, a millionaire businessman who is backed by former President Donald Trump and poured millions of his own money into the contest.
Baldwin ended her planned victory party in downtown Madison without taking the stage. Republicans remained gathered nearby at Hovde's party anticipating a race call.
Republicans seized control of the U.S. Senate late Tuesday after flipping Democratic held seats in Ohio and West Virginia.
Democrats were hoping for a Baldwin win to prevent the state's two Senate seats being held by Republicans.
While Baldwin's voting record is liberal, she emphasized bipartisanship throughout the campaign. Baldwin became the first statewide Democratic candidate to win an endorsement from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization, in more than 20 years.
Her first television ad noted that her buy-American bill was signed into law by Trump. In July, she touted Senate committee approval of a bill she co-authored with Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, that seeks to ensure that taxpayer-funded inventions are manufactured in the United States.
Hovde tried to portray Baldwin as an out-of-touch liberal career politician who didn't do enough to combat inflation, illegal immigration and crime.
About 4 in 10 Wisconsin voters said the economy and jobs is the top issue facing the country, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 110,000 voters nationally, including more than 3,400 voters in Wisconsin. About 2 in 10 Wisconsin voters said immigration is the most pressing issue, and more than 1 in 10 named abortion.