In a shocking victory for Democrats, Patty Schachtner defeated Republican state Rep. Adam Jarchow to represent a district held by a Republican for nearly two decades in the state Senate.
After holding the seat for 16 years, former state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf of River Falls was appointed by Gov. Scott Walker to be the state’s agricultural secretary, triggering a special election.
Her district was assumed to be a relatively safe hold for Republicans, but Schachtner’s supporters and opponents alike anticipated unusual voting patterns in the wake of President Donald Trump’s election, spurring figures like U.S. Senate candidate and state Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Brookfield, to campaign for Jarchow.
Democrat Patty Schachtner explains to @AP how she flipped Wisconsin Senate seat in deep red district: "My message has always been be kind, be considerate and we need to help people when they're down... We just need to be kind to people who are less fortunate and just help."
— Scott Bauer (@sbauerAP) January 17, 2018
Though the flip does not alter control of the state’s higher chamber, merely denting the Republican majority to 18-14, it could signal that Democratic electoral turnout in response to Trump’s election may be larger than previously speculated.
Trump won the district in 2016 by a wide margin of 17 points, while Schachtner defeated Jarchow by an impressive 9, marking a massive 26 percent swing towards Democrats in a little over a year.
“This campaign was about investing in people and revitalizing our area, whether that is making sure every Wisconsinite has access to affordable health care, funding our public schools, technical colleges
