Wisconsin voters re-elected Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who held her House of Representative’s seat in a race where Republicans throughout the country gained majority status.
In her victory speech, Baldwin expressed her views on the midterm election, highlighted the efforts of her campaign and outlined her role in the coming term.
“I feel incredibly grateful to have ended this election on the winning side,” Baldwin said.
With the completion of the midterm election, Baldwin said the national political climate is going to be drastically changed, acknowledging the House’s majority party shift.
Baldwin told The Badger Herald she has served in the minority party before but fears a new GOP majority may not share the same goals. She added she is positive the two parties can work efficiently together if they both are aiming to address the challenges facing the nation.
Baldwin said she fears the GOP’s goal instead may be to prevent President Barack Obama from getting re-elected.
“My greatest responsibility over the next two years will be to fight to keep us moving forward, see economic recovery through and protect the progress we have made from those who are trying to take it away,” Baldwin said in her speech.
On the other hand, David Summers, campaign manager for Republican Chad Lee, said the shift in the House majority reflects the nation’s desire for change. He said the public’s vote showcases the country was going down the wrong path.
Baldwin added while economic recovery is not complete by any means, she said she is concerned a GOP majority would derail the nation’s progress. She said she believes it is important to move democracy forward by empowering citizens.
While Baldwin ultimately won the race, Summers said Lee was pleased to see the race was closer than many of Baldwin’s previous elections.
“We went into [the race] thinking we had a much better shot to win,” Summers said. “But I think the fact we’ve done better than anyone in the last 10 years is a hallmark of our campaign. It’s not a safe seat anymore.”
While Summers said he felt the campaign was solid, the vote may have fared better if the campaign attracted more national attention. He said while the group is disappointed, they thought Lee delivered a good message.
Summers said the district is a tough climate for any Baldwin challenger. But he said Lee’s campaign helped close the gap, and he hopes a future candidate will be able to build on Lee’s success.
Baldwin credited her victory to a successful, truthful campaign. She said the win also stemmed from claiming past accomplishments, not running away from them. Baldwin recited a list of acts she said she voted for proudly, from the Small Business Act to the health care reform bill.
Applauding student voters, Baldwin said University of Wisconsin students this election cycle continued to preserve UW’s politically-active tradition in elections. Both Baldwin and Lee visited campus to encourage student participation in the midterm elections.
Campaign volunteer Ashton Kirsch said Lee was able to relate to students’ perspectives more since he was a student not that long ago.
“We don’t have a single paid staff member,” Kirsch said. “Our campaign stood out because it was purely volunteer-based.”
Campaign manager Matt Wachter said Baldwin’s presence has certainly been felt on campus. A major goal of the campaign was to improve voter education and mobilize students to vote, he said. Wachter said Lee, on the other hand, did not have a plan.
“[Baldwin] voted for the health care bill to ensure that students could stay on their parents’ health insurance until 26,” Wacther said. “She’s expanded access for student loans and continues to fight on behalf of students.”
In an effort to capture more of the student vote, Lee visited the UW campus Tuesday. Kirsch said his campaign advised him to stay at home and relax with his family, but Lee refused and insisted he spend the day on campus.
“[Lee] spent a good portion of the day on campus talking with students, socializing and handing out literature,” Kirsch said.
Reflecting on the midterm elections, Baldwin said she has seen both the best and worst in democracy, from abundant volunteers to negative, distorted advertisements.
