Dylan Brogan
Feingold supporters take in a painful loss at the Marriott West in Middleton.
Russ Feingold supporters arrived in Middleton expecting to win. They left the former U.S. senator’s election party in a state of vanquished disbelief. The polls, historic voting trends and tepid support from state GOP leaders for President-elect Donald Trump all appeared to spell a victory for Feingold. Instead, incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson rode an unexpected wave to re-election that also washed Wisconsin’s 10 electoral college votes away from Democrats for the first time in over three decades.
“I don't know how this happened. This is not okay. I don't know how anyone can justify voting this way,” said Zion Little, who cried over the results of Tuesday’s election at the Marriott West hotel. “All I know now is that I'm scared that my rights will be taken away.”
“It sucks!” said Sandi of Madison, who didn't want to give her last name. “Russ should have been elected. This just sucks.”
The sting of Feingold’s defeat deepened as Trump inched closer to the White House Tuesday night. Johnson may have triumphed, but loyal Dems placed the blame squarely on the Manhattan billionaire.
“You can now run with no experience. You can lie. You can call people names. You can make fun of people and still get people to vote for you,” said Peng Her, a former candidate for Madison Common Council. “That’s not the America where I grew up.”
Julie Peterman felt “overwhelmed” as she tried to understand what motivated Wisconsin voters to elect Trump and Johnson. “What has happened in this country that has turned people to do something like this?” she asked.
“The con men, racists and the wealthy have taken over,” said Caroline, who also declined to provide her last name. “Where do we go from here?”
Staff writer Dylan Brogan talks about his article with WORT's Molly Stentz.
First elected in 1992, Feingold served for 18 years in the U.S. Senate. In 2010, he lost to Johnson — a plastics manufacturer and political newcomer — in a wave election that ousted Democrats from coast to coast. This year, Feingold appeared poised for redemption at the ballot box. Lauded pollster Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight website projected the Janesville native had a 81.7 percent chance of winning. But Johnson exceeded expectations, emerging from the rematch against Feingold by nearly 4 points. With 99.8 percent of precincts reporting, 50.2 percent of Wisconsin voters cast ballots for Johnson, 46.8 percent for Feingold and 3 percent for Libertarian Phil Anderson.
The crowd gathered in Middleton remained dumbstruck by the turn of events even as Feingold delivered his brief concession speech. The once-popular progressive warned of an uncertain future: “This could be one of the most challenging times in the history of this country.”
Dylan Brogan
Russ Feingold concedes his U.S. Senate race in Middleton.
“I didn't expect this outcome, to be honest with you. We didn't get the job done,” Feingold admitted to supporters. “Obviously, something is happening in this country tonight. I don't think I understand it completely.... I would urge you to be as restrained as you can be as the next steps occur. I don’t know exactly what they will be.”
UW-Madison journalism professor Michael Wagner calls Johnson’s win a true upset.
“Johnson led in exactly one poll out of more than 20 over the last several months,” said Wagner. “[Johnson] was able to motivate Republicans to show up and vote for him. Even though not all of his party was wild about the top-ticket, they still showed up for him.”
Johnson received nearly 70,000 more votes than Trump (who won the state by only 1 percentage point). He also won big in Waukesha County. The GOP stronghold gave more votes to Johnson than it did to former Gov. Tommy Thompson in his failed Senate run against Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) in 2012. Conversely, bright blue Milwaukee County saw a drop in turnout without President Obama on the ballot. Feingold received 35,000 fewer votes than Baldwin did in Milwaukee County four years ago. Johnson also dominated in Brown County, home to Green Bay and traditionally a swing area of the state, racking up votes with a whopping 16-point lead.
While Johnson outperformed Trump, Feingold and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton ran nearly even. Feingold received 2,000 fewer votes than Clinton statewide. The only bright spot for Democrats across a very red map was Dane County. The progressive county came out strong for Feingold with 72 percent of the vote, matching turnouts seen in 2008 and 2012.
Democrats were hoping Trump’s historically low approval rating would drag down Republican Senate contenders nationally, flipping control of the upper house of Congress. But last-minute comebacks by Republican candidates in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, in addition to Wisconsin, will give the Grand Old Party full control of Congress in January.
State Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison) says she is heartbroken by the Democrats poor showing.
“It doesn't bode well for Wisconsin or the nation,” said Subeck, who easily won her race for another term in the state Assembly. “What are people thinking?”
Ron Johnson’s answer to that question is that “we got one shot” to put America back on track.
“I could ruin your night laying out the problems, the challenges, the threats we face. I'm not going to do that. This is a night of celebration,” Johnson told his supporters in Oshkosh. “This is a night of opportunity. We've been given a chance. We are going to seize that chance.”
This race is likely the last chapter of Feingold’s 30-year political career. Before departing for his home on Donna Drive — where he once famously painted five promises to voters on his garage door — Russ had these final words:
“We’ll get through this, and I look forward to helping you in any way I can. But it is now up to you.”
