Volunteers for Agriculture®: 2024 Election Recap

Volunteers for Agriculture and Wisconsin Farm Bureau

The Volunteers for Agriculture (VFA) PAC, which is run by a committee of farmers from across Wisconsin to direct Farm Bureau's political advocacy and engagement, achieved a significant impact this election cycle with a 94.6% success rate at the state level. Of the 74 candidates endorsed by the VFA PAC, 70 secured victories, reflecting the PAC's strong alignment with agricultural and rural priorities. The VFA PAC worked extensively to identify and support candidates who champion policies vital to the sustainability and prosperity of Wisconsin agriculture. To view a list of all VFA endorsed candidates, please click here.

Additionally, for federal races, endorsements are part of a separate process, managed by Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors in partnership with American Farm Bureau.

This cycle, six federal candidates received endorsements from the Board, and each won their races, raising the total success rate to an impressive 95% across all endorsed candidates-76 wins out of 80 endorsements.

US President - Donald Trump Wins in Historic Race

Former President Donald Trump won a historic reelection, returning to the White House after a four-year break. He carried key battleground states, including Wisconsin, where he defeated Vice President Kamala Harris by 31,352 votes.

Final Polling in the race had the candidates tied at approx. 49% nationally, and Wisconsin's last Marquette University Law School poll showed Harris with 50% and Trump with 49%.

Unprecedented interest led to historic early voting turnout, with over 83 million Americans casting ballots before Election Day. In Wisconsin, the candidates made a combined 43 visits to Wisconsin since July, and spending reached more than $150 million in the state.

US Senate - Tammy Baldwin Narrowly Reelected

The one US Senate seat on the ballot in Wisconsin drew national attention and, with 98.6% of the vote counted, incumbent Democratic Sen. Baldwin claimed victory with a 49.3% to 48.6% win over Republican businessman challenger Eric Hovde.

Heading into election day, the race was considered as a "toss-up". Those predictions for a tight race proved to be true. But, despite Baldwin prevailing in Wisconsin, Republicans flipped the majority in the U.S. Senate and will start the session with the majority.

US House of Representatives

The Republicans have controlled the US House of Representatives since the midterm elections in 2022 but, according to polls, they were at risk of losing control of the chamber in the 2024 races. At the time of this writing, control of the House was yet to be determined but the results were clear in Wisconsin's Congressional races.

CD-1 - Republican incumbent Bryan Steil defeated Democratic challenger, Peter Barca.

CD-3 - Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden prevailed over Democratic challenger, Rebecca Cooke.

CD-7 - Republican Incumbent Tom Tiffany won reelection against Democratic challenger, Kyle Kilbourn.

State Assembly

All 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly were on the ballot on November 5th. The effect of the new legislative maps was expected to be seen most notably in the State Assembly this cycle but the Republicans will maintain control of the chamber for the 2025 session. Under the previous maps, the Republicans won the chamber with 64 of 99 seats.

It was predicted that there were 10-12 seats that were made competitive to open a possibility to flip control of the Assembly from Republican to Democrat under the new maps. The tally as of now is that Republicans have secured at least 52 seats to 44 for Democrats. Three races have yet to be officially called at this time.

21st AD - Longtime Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez faced Democrat David Marstellar in this Milwaukee County district. Rodriguez prevailed by 932 votes.

26th AD - Republican Rep. Amy Binsfield lost to Democrat Joe Sheehan in her run for re-election. Joe Sheehan won this Sheboygan area seat by 843 votes.

30th AD - Incumbent Republican Rep. Shannon Zimmerman beat Democratic challenger Alison Page. The 30th Assembly district is located in parts of southwest St. Croix County and northwest Pierce County. Zimmerman is from River Falls and beat Page 54% to 46%.

51st AD - In a hotly contested race in Southern Wisconsin, incumbent Republican State Rep. Todd Novak defeated Democrat Elizabeth Grabe. Novak was declared winner late last night in this southwest Wisconsin Grant County race by 1,160 votes.

53th AD - Former State Representative, Republican Dean Kaufert, has a 365-vote lead over Democrat Duane Shukoski. This race has not yet been called.

61st AD - Incumbent Republican Rep. Bob Donovan prevailed over Democrat LuAnn Bird in a district comprising Greendale and Hales Corner in Milwaukee County. This was the second time Donovan faced off against Bird. He won by 1,108 votes.

85th AD - In what was expected to be a close race, Wausau incumbent Republican Rep. Pat Snyder, won against his challenger Democrat Yee Leng Xiong by 1,628 votes.

88th AD - Republican Benjamin Franklin from the De Pere area narrowly defeated Democrat Christy Welch. Ben Franklin has won the 88th district by a mere 221 votes, but the race has not officially been called.

92nd AD - Incumbent Republican Rep. Clint Moses defeated Democratic challenger Joe Plouff by 2,379 votes. The 92nd Assembly District includes the cities of Chippewa Falls and Menomonie and parts of Eau Claire that fall in Chippewa County, along with the villages of Elk Mound and Lake Hallie.

94th AD - In this close race, incumbent Democratic Rep. Steve Doyle maintains a 216 vote edge on Republican challenger Ryan Huebsch. The close margins in this race, held in Onalaska, Holmen, West Salem, and a small part of La Crosse's northside, may lead to a recount. At this time the race has not been called.

State Senate

Of the 33 seats in the Wisconsin State Senate, the even-numbered seats were up for election this cycle. At the end of the night, the Republicans maintained control but their majority was reduced. A loss of Republican control of the State Senate was not in play in this cycle but there were several pivotal races that led to the Democrats picking up three seats in the state Senate as the Democrats will aim to flip control of the chamber in 2026.

8th SD - Democratic challenger Jodi Habush Sinykin defeated Republican Senator Duey Stroebel by 1,788 votes in the newly redrawn suburban Milwaukee state Senate seat formerly held by Dan Knodl.

14th SD - Incumbent Republican Senator Joan Ballweg was defeated by Democratic challenger Sarah Keyeski of Lodi by 2,341 votes in the new 14th Senate District, which included Richland and Sauk Counties and portions of Columbia, Juneau and Dane Counties. Senator Ballweg was previously the Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. We thank her for her many years of collaboration and support of Wisconsin Farm Bureau and her presence in the State Senate will be missed.

18th SD - Democrat Kristen Alfheim beat Republican Tony Phillips by 5,803 votes in the district that runs from Oshkosh to Appleton along Lake Winnebago.

30th SD - Democrat Jamie Wall defeated Republican Jim Rafter by 4,449 votes in this Green Bay area race.

32nd SD - Incumbent Democrat Brad Pfaff held off Republican challenger Stacy Klein by 4,789 votes in the LaCrosse-area western Wisconsin seat.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.