Dems picked up three seats in the state Senate on Tuesday — including knocking off GOP state Sens. Joan Ballweg and Duey Stroebel — as they kept the door open to taking a run at flipping control of the chamber in 2026.
They also led in early returns in a fourth seat that would mark a clean sweep of the contested races on Tuesday’s ballot.
With Republicans now looking at an 18-15 majority to start the 2025-26 session, Dems would need to net two seats in the 2026 elections to win back control of the chamber for the first time since a brief period in 2012.
By early this morning, Dems Jodi Habush Sinykin, Sarah Keyeski and Jamie Wall had all declared victory.
Meanwhile, Dem Appleton Ald. Kristin Alfheim was leading in early returns in the 18th SD.
The results were:
8th SD, suburban Milwaukee: Habush Sinykin had 50.8% of the vote over GOP state Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, with 95% in, according to The Associated Press.
14th, Richland and Sauk counties, along with parts of Columbia, Dane and Juneau counties: Dem Sarah Keyeski had 51.2% of the vote over Ballweg, R-Pardeeville, with 99% of precincts reporting.
30th SD, Green Bay area: Wall had 50.5% of the vote with 81% of the vote in over GOP Allouez Village President Jim Rafter. Dems said the AP’s totals didn’t include numbers from Green Bay’s central count, which hadn’t been posted to the county clerk’s website by early this morning.
In the 18th SD, which runs from Oshkosh to Appleton along Lake Winnebago, Alfheim had 51.9% of the vote with 76% in over GOP cancer Dr. Anthony Phillips.
Despite the new maps, there weren’t enough competitive districts on the ballot this fall for Dems to take control of the chamber with Republicans at 22 seats going into Election Day. But there are three GOP-held swing seats up in 2026, and Dems will be looking to defend Sen. Jeff Smith, of Eau Claire.
That meant Dems needed to net at least three this year to have a shot at the majority in 2026.
The new maps helped push spending in the races to new heights. A WisPolitics review found $27.2 million had been pumped into five state Senate races that were getting the most attention this cycle.
That includes the 8th SD, where the price tag had already surpassed $10.2 million by last week. That topped the previous state record of nearly $10 million set in the Milwaukee-area district when it was the site of a recall election 13 years ago, and the tab will likely be even higher once final spending reports are filed with the state in early January.
Republicans have controlled the state Senate since 2011 save for a six-month period after a round of recall elections in 2012. The GOP flipped back control of the chamber that fall, and the 22 seats they had this session was their most since 1969-70.
Under the maps in place two years ago, GOP U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson won 23 seats even as he secured reelection by a single point. Had the new lines been in place in 2022, he would’ve won 17 Senate districts.
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