Election Recap: Democrats Sweep Wisconsin and Take Control of Congress

Heading into election night, the consensus was that it would be a good night for Democrats nationwide; however, what unfolded for Democrats was not just good, but historic. From Texas to Wisconsin, Democratic momentum swept over the nation.

GOVERNOR: Crowley Defeats Tiffany

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley won the open gubernatorial race and will become the state’s first Black governor. He beat Republican Tom Tiffany by about eight points. With roughly 98.5% of the expected vote counted, Crowley led 54.1% to 45.9%. The last Marquette Law School poll showed Crowley with a seven-point lead among likely voters. Tiffany conceded late Tuesday night. Crowley ran on a joint ticket with Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, who became lieutenant governor.

Democrats won every statewide office on the ballot. Attorney General Josh Kaul was reelected, JoCasta Zamarripa won Secretary of State, and Yee Leng Xiong flipped the Treasurer’s office by defeating the incumbent. As of early this morning, the constitutional amendment barring the governor from using the partial veto to create or raise taxes or fees had not been called at about 50.7% yes.

STATE LEGISLATURE: Democrats Achieve Majorities

Democrats won both houses of the Legislature for the first time in 18 years. Combined with Crowley’s win, that gives Democrats their first trifecta since the Doyle administration, giving them unilateral control of the legislative agenda and budget writing process.

State Senate: Democrats 18, Republicans 15
Democrats flipped three seats and held their own:

5th SD: Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) defeated Mike Roberts for the seat being vacated by Sen. Rob Hutton.
21st SD: Trevor Jung (D) defeated Jim Croft for Sen. Van Wanggaard’s open seat.
17th SD: Rep. Jenna Jacobson (D-Oregon) defeated Sen. Howard Marklein, who co-chairs the Joint Finance Committee and was first elected in 2014.
31st SD (hold): Sen. Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick) defeated Michele Magadance Skinner.

State Assembly: Democrats 53, Republicans 46
Democrats needed to flip five seats. They flipped eight and held every one of their own:

Open GOP seats: Daniel Bukiewicz won the 21st AD (Rodriguez) and Becky Nichols won the 53rd AD (Kaufert).
GOP incumbents defeated in Harris-won districts: Novak in the 51st (lost to Ben Gruber), Donovan in the 61st (lost to Ben Brist), and Franklin in the 88th (lost to Brandy Tollefson).
GOP incumbents defeated in President Donald Trump-won districts: Zimmerman in the 30th (lost to Kevin Knoke), Snyder in the 85th (lost to John Kroll), and Moses in the 92nd (lost to Jeremiah Fredrickson).
Democratic holds: Doyle in the 94th, the only Democrat defending a Trump-won seat, along with Sheehan (26th), Spaude (89th), and Emerson (91st).

CONGRESS: Wisconsin Delegation Now Split 4-4

Democrats flipped two Republican-held House seats. Wisconsin’s delegation will be evenly divided for the first time in 16 years.

1st CD (flip): Democrat Mitchell Berman of Raymond defeated Rep. Bryan Steil, roughly 52%-48%. The seat had been in Republican hands for three decades. Steil sits on the House Financial Services Committee, so the banking community loses a key voice.
3rd CD (flip): Rebecca Cooke defeated Rep. Derrick Van Orden by almost seven points. That reverses their 2024 rematch, which Van Orden won by less than 3.
7th CD (open, R hold): Republican Michael Alfonso defeated Fred Clark for Tiffany’s seat. Alfonso will be the youngest member of Congress.
Incumbents reelected: Mark Pocan (2nd, unopposed), Gwen Moore (4th), Scott Fitzgerald (5th), Glenn Grothman (6th), and Tony Wied (8th).

NATIONALLY: Democrats Win Both Chambers of Congress

Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate, ending unified Republican control in Washington for President Trump’s final two years.

House: Republicans lost their slim majority. Projections put Democrats well above the 218 seats needed, with some estimates at 250 or more.
Senate: Democrats flipped seven Republican-held seats: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas. That gives them about 54 seats, with Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled as of this morning. Chuck Schumer is in line to become majority leader.

Find out what this means for the banking industry by joining us for a free post-election webinar on November 10, at 10:00 a.m. You can register here.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either Tyler Foti or Chris Borgerding from the WBA Government Relations team.