Biden wins Wisconsin

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is projected to win the critical swing state of Wisconsin, claiming its 10 electoral votes.  

The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday at 2:16 p.m. EST. 

Polls going into election night suggested Biden was favored to win the state. The RealClearPolitics polling average showed Biden leading Trump by 6.7 percentage points there.  

Biden’s win puts the Badger State back in the Democratic column four years after Trump flipped the state, winning it by roughly a point.  

In 2016, Trump successfully galvanized Wisconsin’s white, working-class population, connecting on a number of issues, including trade and the economy. 

Four years later, Biden sought to build back the Democratic “blue wall” in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, which Trump also flipped in 2016.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Pennsylvania and Michigan were among the states still too close to call, a list that also includes Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia.

Before Wisconsin was even called, the Trump campaign had announced it would be seeking a recount there. 

“There have been reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties which raise serious doubts about the validity of the results. The President is well within the threshold to request a recount and we will immediately do so,” Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said in a statement without offering details or evidence.

Biden is up by a little more than 20,000 votes in the state, which former Gov. Scott Walker (R) warned may be too big of a gap to overcome.

“After recount in 2011 race for WI Supreme Court, there was a swing of 300 votes,” Walker tweeted Wednesday. “After recount in 2016 Presidential race in WI, @realDonaldTrump numbers went up by 131. As I said, 20,000 is a high hurdle.”

Biden and Trump both campaigned in Wisconsin last week, engaging voters on jobs and economic issues.  

The former vice president specifically hit Trump on foreign trade wars, arguing the administration had devastated the state’s economy. 

“Harley-Davidson slashed 800 manufacturing jobs, repurchased stock … and then shifted some of its production overseas. So much for helping,” Biden said in Milwaukee, referring to the Wisconsin-based motorcycle company.

Updated at 2:48 p.m.