Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin staved off Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes to secure a third term as U.S. senator in the key swing state, according to multiple forecasters Wednesday morning, winning the GOP a crucial Senate seat in the hotly-contested midterms.
The incumbent Republican won the razor-thin race with 50.5% of the vote compared to his challengers’ share of 49.3%, with 94% of expected votes counted, according to NBC News. The same margin was reported by CNN.
Johnson was the only incumbent Republican up for re-election in a state that Joe Biden narrowly won by roughly 20,000 votes in the 2020 presidential election, making him a prime target for Democrats in their bid to gain control of the Senate, the Associated Press reported. Prior to the election, Johnson held a 2 point lead over Barnes, with 50% of likely voters supporting his bid, according to a Marquette University Law School survey of 802 Wisconsin voters conducted between Oct. 24 and Nov. 1.
Barnes, endorsed by Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, has tried to paint Johnson as an out-of-touch millionaire, criticizing his defense of gun rights and for playing down the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the AP.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 24: Democratic candidate for U.S. senate in Wisconsin Mandela Barnes speaks to supporters as he arrives for a campaign rally at the Washington Park Senior Center on September 24, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Barnes currently serves as the state’s lieutenant governor. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
In contrast, the Johnson campaign and its allies portrayed Barnes as a member of the Democratic Party’s “radical left” wing, targeting the Lt. Gov. over his support for the Green New Deal, the defund the police movement and ending cash bail, the AP reported.
Johnson was a pivotal advocate for former President Donald Trump in the swing state, and was a key supporter of Trump’s Tax Cut and Jobs Act in 2017, according to Business Insider.
Barnes criticized Johnson’s vote for the law, noting that the bill provided millions in tax cuts to some of Johnson’s campaign donors, according to the AP. Johnson defended the vote on the grounds that the cuts to business taxes helped small businesses remain competitive with larger businesses.
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