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Republican SenatorĀ Ron JohnsonĀ won a third term in WisconsinĀ in a hotly contested race against Democrat Lieutenant GovernorĀ Mandela Barnes.
Democrats saw Johnson, who was backed by former PresidentĀ Donald Trump, as vulnerable and hoped they could pick up his seat as they tried to cement control in the Senate.
Barnes ran on a progressive campaign, focusing on abortion and protecting Social Security. He was doing well in the polls againstĀ one of the least popular Senators in the country, but Johnson pushed back and refocused his campaign on criminal justice issues.
It worked as the polls began to turn in Johnson's favor after heĀ started painting Barnes as being soft on crime.
Johnson's win gives Republicans a boost in their effort to retake control of the Senate from the Democrats. After Johnson's victory, each party had secured 48 seats. Races in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada remain too close to call.