U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) declared victory over Republican challenger Eric Hovde Wednesday morning, leading him by a margin of 49.4% to 48.5%.
“It is clear that the voters have spoken and our campaign has won,” she said in a statement. “The people of Wisconsin have chosen someone who always puts Wisconsin first, someone who shows up, listens, and works with everyone to get the job done.”
Serving as the first openly LGBTQ+ senator following her election in 2012 — as well as the first non-incumbent LGBTQ+ member elected to the House, where she represented Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District from 1999 to 2013 — Baldwin was targeted with homophobic and anti-trans attack ads by her Republican rival, businessman Eric Hovde, during the 2024 cycle.
A critically important voice for the community, Baldwin was instrumental in the Senate’s passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which codified legal protections for married same-sex couples.
Following the departure of U.S. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) in January, Baldwin will be the only LGBTQ+ voice in the chamber.
The LGBTQ Victory Fund, which works to elect LGBTQ candidates for public office, likely spent more on Baldwin’s race than any other contest this year, the organization’s vice president of political programs told the Washington Blade last month.
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