Democrat John Lehman defeated Republican state Sen. Van Wanggaard by a margin of 834 votes, the official canvassed results for last week’s key state Senate seat in the Wisconsin recalls show, according to the Racine Journal Times.
Lehman took away a slightly wider lead than the pre-canvass totals from election night, which showed him ahead by 779 votes. Wanggaard is not conceding yet, and still has three days to decide on whether to request a recount.
The race was a rematch from 2010, when Wanggaard unseated the incumbent Lehman. The apparent win this time for Lehman gives Democrats a new 17-16 majority in the state Senate. The new majority could turn out to be only a symbolic victory, as the legislature is out of regular session. There will be regular elections in November for half of the chamber, in which the Democrats will have to play defense on a new map drawn by Republican lawmakers.
