Wisconsin Senate Race Results: Tammy Baldwin Becomes First Openly LGBT Senator

Impact

In a victory for LGBT rights, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin has won the Senate election in Wisconsin. Baldwin becomes the first openly gay senator in Congress, taking the seat formerly held by the retiring Herb Kohl. Wisconsin has a history of progressive politics, but over the past few years, the state was becoming more conservative. The state is led by Republican Governor Scott Walker and is home to Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan and RNC chairman Reince Priebus.

The Obama campaign has to be excited over the fact that the liberal Baldwin has won in the swing state and will help to keep the Democratic majority in the Senate. The state was targeted as a premier pickup by the Republicans who nominated the popular ex-Governor Tommy Thompson.

Slate said “Baldwin is a progressive solid enough to have voted against authorizing the Iraq War and against a pro-Patriot Act resolution masquerading as pro-veteran. She wrote the part of the Affordable Care Act that lets adults stay on their parents' health care coverage until they're 26."

Baldwin has served as an openly gay woman during her seven terms as a Wisconsin congresswoman. Baldwin will be the 13th Democratic female senator, once the 113th Congress is convened.