# Tammy Baldwin Democratic U.S. Senator from Wisconsin since 2013, and before that a member of the House (1999–2013). She has never lost a race in a political career of nearly four decades (WPR). She beat former Gov. [[Tommy Thompson]] by about 5.5 points in 2012, Leah Vukmir by nearly 11 in 2018, and Republican banker [[Eric Hovde]] by about 0.9 points (roughly 29,000 votes) in 2024, a cycle in which about $60 million in outside money was spent on each side (OpenSecrets via WPR). Her 2012 election made her the first woman elected to the Senate from Wisconsin and the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the U.S. Senate. She helped pass the [[Respect for Marriage Act]] in 2022. She is a standing target of Wisconsin conservative money, including the Uihlein family's [[Restoration PAC]], which spent about $4.5 million against her re-election. Her term runs to 2030. Former sheriff [[David Clarke]] floated a 2024 challenge to her but did not run.