Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) successfully won re-election in Wisconsin, at the same time that President-elect Donald Trump returned the state to red in the presidential election.
As for how she accomplished it, Democrats attribute much of her victory to her “72-county strategy.” Baldwin made sure to travel across the state during his campaign, far from the two big blue enclaves of Milwaukee and Dane counties.
“I think it's important to show up and be heard,” she said in an interview with FOX News Digital. “So I went there and really listened and got to know the challenges and aspirations of people in all parts of the state, rural, suburban and urban.”
Baldwin won the state by tens of thousands of votes, roughly the same margin as Trump.
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Donald Trump was elected in Wisconsin, and Sen. Baldwin was re-elected. (Reuters/File)
According to her campaign, she held more than 250 events in Wisconsin in 2024 alone. She also hosted several targeted tours during the election campaign, including the Dairy Farm Tour and the Rural Leaders Tour for Tammy.
Additionally, Baldwin's campaign micro-targeted rural communities with content about her agricultural work.
But her grueling trip wasn't the only thing that sealed the deal for her. The senator also acknowledged that people can go anywhere, but they need to effectively engage voters in each location they travel to.
One thing she pointed out was that it took Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign a few short months to rally voters for her in the state, and that she was “building on the confidence of Wisconsin voters.” It took years to get it.”
Baldwin also said he is convening roundtables and forums on related issues while traveling through Wisconsin.
“So, for example, with the fentanyl and opioid epidemic, I brought together first responders, public health officials and concerned community members to talk about what the epidemic looks like in this region, in this part of the state. Do you need resources? What are your biggest concerns?”
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A woman wears a cheesehead hat with an American flag in Wisconsin. (Reuters/File)
She noted that they also held events dedicated to agricultural issues.
Baldwin in particular credits some of his work on agricultural issues with contributing to his re-election victory. In early October, Baldwin won the endorsement of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors, a major win for Democrats in the statewide race.
“They cited a number of different measures that I supported and actually passed into law,” she said.
The senator pointed to the Dairy Business Innovation Act, which provides small grants to various dairy producers and processors.
“I visited a specific farm this spring that received one of these grants, where several other farmers and processors who received the grant were also invited to help grow their businesses. It showed us what we can do with these grants and improve our bottom line,” she said.
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Dairy is a large agricultural industry in Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Charlie Litchfield/File)
Wisconsin Democrats also pointed to the state's large manufacturing industry and argued that pushing for “Buy America” rules in parts of the bill helped win over some of those voters. .
As for whether his campaign serves as a model for other Democrats, especially those in battleground states, he said, “I think it's a reference for a lot of public officials.”
Baldwin added that he recognized the need to travel this far in Wisconsin during his first Senate campaign. “As you know, I was a member of the House of Representatives representing seven counties in Wisconsin. [the] south central part of the state. I got to learn about Wisconsin while running. ”
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Baldwin promoted the 72-Country Strategy. (Reuters/File)
“So traveling for that learning, exposure to the timber industry and the northern woods, was really important. There wasn't a big timber industry in the south-central part of the state.”
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The Midwest senator also said this is the first time he's hearing from Wisconsin residents that their elected officials don't spend much time in certain areas of the state.
“One of the things I hear from voters when I go to the polls is, 'I don't remember the last time a U.S. senator visited our community, especially not a Democrat.' Something like that,” she said.
“It's like people in the timber industry saying, 'I don't think we've ever had a senator pay this much attention to us,'” she added.
