For the fifth consecutive election, Wisconsinites voted Democrat Tammy Baldwin, District 2, into the House of Representatives.
Baldwin defeated her opponent, Republican Dave Magnum, for the second time, 63 to 37 percent. Magnum ran against Baldwin in 2004 and lost by the same margin.
In 1998, Baldwin became the first women from Wisconsin to be elected to Congress and the first openly gay House member.
""This was the most important election in recent years, perhaps in my lifetime,"" she told a room packed full of supporters chanting ""Tammy! Tammy! Tammy!"" It was a scene in stark contrast to the defeated Fair Wisconsin campaign, only one floor above at Monona Terrace.
She summed up the national campaign as a victory for the democratic process, rather than the Democratic Party, referencing a quote from President Kennedy.
""Tonight is a celebration of the people reclaiming their democracy,"" Baldwin said, emphasizing a ""deep need for renewal and repair"" in the country.
Baldwin detailed her plans for her next two years in office, saying she intends to work for change in the country's energy, education and economic policies, from those that benefit the ""privileged few"" to those that work for the common good, including health care for all Americans.
In reaction to the Fair Wisconsin defeat, which affected her visibly as she spoke, Baldwin rallied the crowed around keeping politicians out of personal family decisions.
She thanked her mother and partner for their support and expressed her respect for Magnum for his willingness to sacrifice time with his family to serve others.
Baldwin credited the national mood combined with her long record in the district for her victory.
""In [a] year in which these elections are about major national issues like the war and the direction of this country voters are looking for candidates who are willing to stand up to this administration, and that's me,"" she said.
