U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin pledged to work with President-elect Donald Trump when it benefits the people of Wisconsin and to stand up to him when his policies don’t.
Baldwin delivered her victory speech two days after the election and with GOP rival Eric Hovde yet to concede. Unofficial returns show the Madison Dem up by more than 29,000 votes, or just less than 1%.
Hovde said in a statement Wednesday he planned to “continue to monitor returns and make sure that every vote is counted.” His campaign didn’t respond to messages Thursday seeking comment.
Under state law, a candidate in second place with a margin of no more than 1% may request a recount. If the margin is 0.25% or less, taxpayers pick up the cost. Otherwise, the petitioner has to pick up the tab.
Baldwin told supporters at a union facility on Madison’s east side Thursday that she was overjoyed at her victory and thanked her backers for coming through for her, from farmers and labor to LGBT families “who saw through the nasty attack campaign and knew I had their back to live their lives free of hate or discrimination.”
She also noted that Trump won Wisconsin’s electoral votes, saying she respects the voters’ decision.
“You know that I will always fight for Wisconsin, and that means working with President Trump to do that and standing up to him when he doesn’t have our best interests at heart,” Baldwin said.
According to AdImpact, more than $242.5 million was spent this year on ads in the U.S. Senate race with more than $130 million of that by Baldwin and her backers. Dems focused on Hovde’s ownership of a California bank and past comments on issues such as abortion and safety net programs. Hovde and those backing him, meanwhile, focused their ads down the stretch on transgender issues and their allegations that Baldwin had a conflict of interest for failing to disclose the assets of her partner, who works as a financial adviser in New York.
Baldwin said it was time to come together to attack problems facing Wisconsinites and to “put the politics of division behind us.” While thanking those who helped make her victory possible, she also thanked her partner Maria Brisbane “for being my No. 1 supporter.”
