Democrats make key pickups in state Senate, narrow GOP majority

MADISON - Democrats gained key victories in the state Senate, narrowing the majority for Republicans, but falling short of flipping power in either chamber of the state Legislature.

Among the key victories for Democrats were the 8th Senate District, where Democratic challenger Jodi Habush Sinykin declared victory over state Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Cedarburg. The Associated Press hadn't called the race, the most expensive legislative contest in state history, as of early Wednesday afternoon.

Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein welcomed Habush Sinykin to the Legislature in a statement, and said she ran an "incredible campaign."

“As the underdog, she did not shy away from the hard work necessary to win this race," she said. "Jodi’s deep ties to the community, thoughtful decision-making, and experience as an attorney will allow her to effectively legislate for the needs of this community.”

The 8th Senate District covers northern Milwaukee suburbs.

Other Democratic gains in the Senate were:

? The 14th Senate District, covering the north side of Madison and Richland and Sauk counties: Democratic candidate Sarah Keyeski defeated incumbent Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan.

? The 30th Senate District, covering the Green Bay area: Democratic candidate Jamie Wall defeated Republican candidate Jim Rafter.

? The 18th Senate District, covering much of the Fox Cities: Democrat Kristin Alfheim defeated Republican Anthony Phillips.

Republicans held a 22-10 majority with one vacancy in the Senate heading into the election. If all four Democratic gains stand, the GOP majority would shrink to 18-15, with Dora Drake running unopposed to fill the vacant seat of Milwaukee Democrat Lena Taylor, who left the Senate for a judgeship.

Republicans also lose the two-thirds supermajority in the chamber, which they have used in the past to attempt overrides of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' vetoes.

"On what was a tough night for Democrats nationwide, we made key gains in the State Legislature last night — demonstrating the power of the Republican gerrymander that crushed democracy in our state for more than a decade and the strength of Democratic state legislative efforts," Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairman Ben Wikler said in a statement.

Andrew Whitley, the director of the State Senate Democratic Committee, said in a statement that the victories marked a path for a potential flip in the next election.

"We are really proud of our candidates' hard work in their races and the results we are seeing reflect their dedication to voters. The candidates knocked on thousands of doors, listened to voters, and clearly articulated their vision for Wisconsin," he said. "Senate Democrats have defeated the Republicans' manufactured supermajority and we are on a pathway to the majority in 2026."

Democrats fall short of flipping state Assembly

Democrats had also hoped to flip the Assembly to their control in the first election since the state's legislative districts were redrawn.

But as of early Wednesday afternoon, the AP had called 52 races for Republicans and 44 for Democrats, with a Democrat conceding in another race and two others not called. That continues Republicans' majority in the lower chamber, which stood at 64-35 going into the election.

All of the seats in the Assembly were up for election and 16 of 33 seats in the Senate. Democrats saw it as an opportunity to flip seats in their favor after new maps were created earlier this year and set their sights on taking the majority in the Assembly, which has remained under Republican control for more than a decade.

In a call with reporters, Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman Brian Schimming said, "Democrats spent the last couple weeks bragging about how they might be able to take over the state Assembly, and they didn't.

"Majorities matter in the Legislature. The Democrats don't have either of them. The truth of the matter is they had their one moment when they had a huge turnout to take over this year, and they failed in both houses."

Schimming added the party is already looking forward to upcoming races for state Supreme Court, attorney general and governor.

Following the redistricting ruling, this year's election season saw a fuller slate of Democrats running in newly drawn districts that they say were the most competitive in years.

That competition resulted in heavy spending, including in the 8th Senate District, where a whopping $3 million or more was expected to be spent by the campaigns, candidates and other groups, a record for a Wisconsin legislative race.

Both Republican and Democratic strategists agreed that the spending was because of more competitive districts, as well as the desire to have the candidates be seen amid the heavy advertising for the presidential race.

While Republicans firmly believed they could hold control of the Assembly, Democrats believed voters were ready for a "breath of fresh air" in the Legislature.

Republicans will still hold control of the Legislature and will seek to hold those seats in upcoming elections.

Here are the results of some of the other closely watched legislative races:

• 13th Assembly District, covering parts of Wauwatosa, Brookfield and Elm Grove: Rep. Robyn Vining, D-Wauwatosa, defeated fellow state Rep. Tom Michalski, R-Elm Grove.

• 21st Assembly District, covering a portion of the south Milwaukee suburbs: Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, R-Oak Creek, narrowly defeated Democratic candidate David Marstellar.

• 26th Assembly District, covering the Sheboygan area: Democratic candidate Joe Sheehan defeated Amy Binsfeld, R-Sheboygan.

• 30th Assembly District, covering parts of St. Croix and Pierce counties: Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, R-River Falls, held his seat against Democratic candidate Alison Page.

• 53rd Assembly District, covering Neenah, Menasha and the southern part of Appleton: Republican candidate Dean Kaufert edged Democratic candidate Duane Shukoski. The race hadn't been called as of early Wednesday afternoon, but Shukoski has conceded.

• 61st Assembly District, covering the southwestern Milwaukee suburbs: Rep. Bob Donovan, R-Greenfield, defeated Democratic candidate LuAnn Bird.

• 85th Assembly District, which covers Wausau: Rep. Pat Snyder, R-Schofield held his seat against Democratic candidate Yee Leng Xiong.

Laura Schulte can be reached at [email protected] and on X at @SchulteLaura.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Democrats make key pickups in state Senate, narrow GOP majority