Democrats surprise Republicans in battleground Wisconsin

By SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democrats outperformed expectations in battleground Wisconsin in Tuesday’s midterm, leaving Republicans shocked at the narrower than expected win by two-term incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson and a further eroding of support in reliably conservative Milwaukee suburbs. The biggest win for Democrats came with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers beating back a challenge by Republican Tim Michels to win another term, tripling the margin of his first win four years ago in a race that polls had shown for months to be about even. There were gains by Republicans, although none were unexpected. Republicans picked up seats in the Legislature, but appeared to have fallen short of their goal of reaching a veto-proof supermajority.