Three of the six challenges in the recall elections held today have been called in favor of the Republican incumbents, and one has been called as a Democrat victory. If one of the two remaining Republican incumbents wins tonight, the Republican majority in the Wisconsin Senate will be safe.
Sen. Cowles, Sen. Harsdorf, and Sen. Olsen all appear to have won. Cowles and Harsdorf were expected to win, but Olsen was much more vulnerable. Sen. Kapanke appears to have lost his race, as expected, to challenger Jessica Shilling. He has a 10 point deficit with 85% reporting.
Sen. Alberta Darling, R, trails challenger Rep. Sandy Pasch, D, 51-49, with 63% of districts reporting. Darling’s race has been one of the most contentious of the six elections.
Sen. Randy Hopper, R, is in a statistical tie – but trailing challenger Jessica King by 137 votes – with 87% reporting. The last time these two candidates faced each other in 2008, Hopper won by 163 votes.
If both Hopper and Darling lose, Democrats win the Senate majority in Wisconsin.
