Wisconsin’s out Sen. Tammy Baldwin announces reelection campaign

Out Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has announced she is running for reelection to a third term in Congress.

In a statement, Baldwin said she’s “committed to making sure that working people, not just the big corporations and ultra-wealthy, have a fighter on their side. With so much at stake, from families struggling with rising costs to a ban on reproductive freedom, Wisconsinites need someone who can fight and win.”

Related:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says “groomer” panic is about taking the heat off straight perverts

The Democratic congresswoman called out rightwingers defending the patriarchy.

Baldwin also tweeted out the announcement, saying, “Wisconsin’s working families deserve a Senator who’s going to fight for them—not a shady special interests or big corporations. We’ve made a lot of progress, but the stakes have never been higher and our work isn’t over yet.”

Baldwin made history in 2012 when she became the first out gay senator in the nation and the first woman senator from Wisconsin. At the time, she declared, “I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference.”

Never Miss a Beat

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.

Sign Up

Daily

Weekly

Good News

Promotions (occasional)

In 2018, she won her first reelection bid against a Trump-endorsed, anti-LGBTQ+ opponent.

So far, Baldwin does not have a Republican challenger, and her seat is considered critical to the Democrats maintaining Senate control.

Last year, Baldwin spearheaded the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA), which repealed the Defense of Marriage Act, federally recognizes interracial and same-sex marriages performed by states, and requires states to recognize marriages performed in other states.

“Thank you to the millions of same-sex and interracial couples who truly made this moment possible,” Baldwin tweeted after it passed. “By living as your true selves, you changed the hearts and minds of people around you.”

Baldwin’s announcement comes on the heels of a contentious judicial race in her state in which liberal Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz won her race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, prevailing over conservative opponent Dan Kelly. As a result, liberals have a majority on the court for the first time in 15 years.

Protasiewicz ‘s victory means the court has a higher chance of overturning Wisconsin’s archaic and strict abortion ban, implemented before the Civil War. It also means Wisconsin’s legislative maps could be redrawn after years of Republican gerrymandering.