Republicans said they’re growing worried after suffering a stunning loss in state elections in Wisconsin on Tuesday in territory that was considered solidly Republican.
Democrat Patty Schachtner scored a 10 percentage-point win over state Rep. Adam Jarchow for a state Senate seat in a district that Republicans held for nearly two decades, and President Trump carried by 17 points.
Gov. Scott Walker said the outcome of the race should serve as “wake-up call” for the GOP, and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said the party needed to figure out what happened.
“Typically, we’ve held this seat, and we lost this seat last night,” Mr. Ryan said on Capitol Hill. “So, yeah, we — I think we should pay attention to it.”
Democrats touted the victory as more evidence that the political pendulum has been swinging in their direction since President Trump moved into the White House a year ago.
“Voters are flat-out rejecting the Trump-GOP agenda,” said Tom Perez, chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Democrats have flipped a total of 34 legislative seats, according to Mr. Perez.
That includes seats in New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Florida and Virginia — giving them bragging rights and leaving the party hopeful that there could be a blue wave in the 2018 midterm elections.
Democrats are trying to make up for the 900-plus seats the party lost during President Obama’s eight-year tenure.
The state Senate seat in northwest Wisconsin opened up after former state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf resigned to take a job in Gov. Walker’s administration.
Ms. Harsdorf won re-election to the seat in 2016 by 26 points, leaving Mr. Walker and Republicans confident that they could defend the spot in Tuesday’s special election.
But Ms. Schachtner defeated Mr. Jarchow, 54.6 percent to 44.2 percent, despite being outspent.
“This isn’t a marginal district that just swung,” said Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll. “It has been one of the safer Republican senate seats.”
“WAKE UP CALL: Can’t presume that voters know we are getting positive things done in Wisconsin. Help us share the good news,” Mr. Walker, the state’s Republican governor, said in a series of post-election tweets.
On his DailyTakes podcast, Brian Fraley, a Wisconsin-based GOP strategist, said Republicans should be concerned.
“Republicans have an exceptional voter targeting program, where they know microprofiles of the electorate,” Mr. Fraley said. “They know what motivates people to get to the polls. They know there voting history they know there tendencies. They know the issues that matter.”
“So that hasn’t fallen apart since November of ’16, but what has clearly is the motivation,” Mr. Fraley said. “There is an enthusiasm gap. The Democrats are far more engaged.”
Mr. Fraley also said the race showed that Mr. Trump’s popularity — he held a 48 percent approval rating in the district — doesn’t automatically transfer over to GOP candidates.
“But the negatives of Trump do and it motivates the Democrats,” he said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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