MADISON, Wisc. — Incumbent Tammy Baldwin has declared victory over Republican Eric Hovde in Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race and NBC News has projected she will hold on to her seat.
Baldwin currently holds 49.3 percent of the vote, compared to Hovde, who has 48.6 percent, according to preliminary voting data.
Watch: Tammy Baldwin declares victory in Wisconsin's US Senate Race.
In a statement, Baldwin said, “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. And they rejected the billionaires and the special interests who want to come to our state, spread hate and division, and buy their way into power."
In a statement released Wednesday morning, Hovde said he was still keeping an eye on the numbers.
"We’re watching the final precinct results come in. We’re certainly disappointed that the Democrats’ effort to siphon votes with a fraudulent candidate had a significant impact on the race, with those votes making up more than the entire margin of the race right now," the statement said. "We will continue to monitor returns and make sure that every vote is counted."
IMPORTANT ELECTION LINKS:
-Live election results
-Our full election coverage page
-Wisconsin's MyVote website
Democrats had hoped to hold onto the Wisconsin seat to maintain their slim Senate majority. Heading into the election, Democrats were defending 23 seats, while Republicans had 11 up for grabs. As of Wednesday, Republicans had flipped enough Senate seats in other states to gain control of the chamber.
Baldwin assumed office on January 3, 2013. She was previously a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District from 1999 to 2013.
She also served in the Wisconsin State Assembly.
Hovde was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. He graduated from East High School and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His career experience includes being an entrepreneur and founding a charitable organization.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.