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| Tom Tiffany Wins House Race for Republicans in Wisconsin | Tom Tiffany Wins House Race for Republicans in Wisconsin |
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| WASHINGTON — Tom Tiffany, a Republican state senator, won a special election on Tuesday to fill a House seat in rural northern Wisconsin, but his margin of victory demonstrated how rural voters in a key battleground state are slipping away from President Trump in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. | |
| Mr. Tiffany defeated Tricia Zunker, a Democratic school board member. Officials in both parties were closely monitoring Mr. Tiffany’s margin of victory. | Mr. Tiffany defeated Tricia Zunker, a Democratic school board member. Officials in both parties were closely monitoring Mr. Tiffany’s margin of victory. |
| Ms. Zunker and Wisconsin’s Democrats seized on the margin of victory, about 14 percentage points, as evidence that Mr. Trump and Republicans are losing ground in the state before the November general election. | |
| “Trump’s base is cracking,” said Ben Wikler, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. “Rural voters are running away from Trump because they know they can’t afford four more years of his broken promises in the Oval Office.” | |
| Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign in Wisconsin, called Mr. Tiffany’s victory “a win for President Trump and Tom Tiffany that demonstrates the enthusiasm behind our president across Wisconsin.” | |
| President Trump carried the district, the Seventh Congressional, by 20 percentage points in 2016, and in 2018 Representative Sean P. Duffy won re-election by 22 points. Even a small slippage from Mr. Trump’s 2016 support could damage his chances of carrying Wisconsin, a state he won by just 22,748 votes four years ago. | President Trump carried the district, the Seventh Congressional, by 20 percentage points in 2016, and in 2018 Representative Sean P. Duffy won re-election by 22 points. Even a small slippage from Mr. Trump’s 2016 support could damage his chances of carrying Wisconsin, a state he won by just 22,748 votes four years ago. |
| Mr. Duffy, a Tea Party darling whom Republicans tried to persuade to run for the Senate in 2018, resigned from his seat last year to care for a baby born with health complications. | Mr. Duffy, a Tea Party darling whom Republicans tried to persuade to run for the Senate in 2018, resigned from his seat last year to care for a baby born with health complications. |
| Wisconsin’s election was the state’s second in six weeks to take place with in-person voting amid a health crisis that has otherwise shut down most public life in America. Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, sought to delay the contests and hold all-mail voting, but he was blocked by Republicans in the State Legislature and the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court. | Wisconsin’s election was the state’s second in six weeks to take place with in-person voting amid a health crisis that has otherwise shut down most public life in America. Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, sought to delay the contests and hold all-mail voting, but he was blocked by Republicans in the State Legislature and the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court. |
| A special election was also held on Tuesday in California, with a bitter battle to replace former Representative Katie Hill, who resigned last year after admitting to an affair with a campaign staff member. | A special election was also held on Tuesday in California, with a bitter battle to replace former Representative Katie Hill, who resigned last year after admitting to an affair with a campaign staff member. |
| In a race that became a microcosm for national politics amid the pandemic, Christy Smith, a Democrat who has held public office for several years, was competing against Mike Garcia, a Republican and political newcomer who relied heavily on his background as a former military pilot. | In a race that became a microcosm for national politics amid the pandemic, Christy Smith, a Democrat who has held public office for several years, was competing against Mike Garcia, a Republican and political newcomer who relied heavily on his background as a former military pilot. |
| In the district, California’s 25th Congressional, where Latinos make up the second-largest group of voters, Mr. Garcia was seen as a top-notch recruit for Republicans. The party has struggled to shore up its support from Latino and Asian voters in such diverse suburban districts of Southern California. | In the district, California’s 25th Congressional, where Latinos make up the second-largest group of voters, Mr. Garcia was seen as a top-notch recruit for Republicans. The party has struggled to shore up its support from Latino and Asian voters in such diverse suburban districts of Southern California. |
| A Republican victory would be seized upon by national party leaders who are eager to show that the president maintains support in the kinds of suburban areas that Democrats are counting on to win back the White House. Even before the pandemic, Democrats had tried to cast the race as a referendum on Mr. Trump, a message they hoped would resound with voters who supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 by nearly seven points. | A Republican victory would be seized upon by national party leaders who are eager to show that the president maintains support in the kinds of suburban areas that Democrats are counting on to win back the White House. Even before the pandemic, Democrats had tried to cast the race as a referendum on Mr. Trump, a message they hoped would resound with voters who supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 by nearly seven points. |
| All of the roughly 425,000 registered voters in the district received a ballot by mail, postage paid, so that they only had to fill it out and slip it back in the mailbox. | All of the roughly 425,000 registered voters in the district received a ballot by mail, postage paid, so that they only had to fill it out and slip it back in the mailbox. |
| For weeks leading up to Election Day, Republicans appeared to be sending back their ballots at a higher rate than Democrats. And in recent days, Democrats had begun to tamp down expectations, saying that Ms. Smith would fare better against Mr. Garcia in November, when they will face off for the seat again and when there is expected to be more voter enthusiasm for the presidential election. | For weeks leading up to Election Day, Republicans appeared to be sending back their ballots at a higher rate than Democrats. And in recent days, Democrats had begun to tamp down expectations, saying that Ms. Smith would fare better against Mr. Garcia in November, when they will face off for the seat again and when there is expected to be more voter enthusiasm for the presidential election. |
| With just seven polling places open in the 25th District for in-person voting, the vast majority of voters cast their ballots by mail. The voting centers were largely set up in parking lots across the suburban district, with a steady trickle of voters showing up wearing face coverings, while poll workers wiped each machine between use. | With just seven polling places open in the 25th District for in-person voting, the vast majority of voters cast their ballots by mail. The voting centers were largely set up in parking lots across the suburban district, with a steady trickle of voters showing up wearing face coverings, while poll workers wiped each machine between use. |
| Those who chose to vote in person said they did so either because they had not received a ballot by mail or because they did not trust the United States Postal Service. | Those who chose to vote in person said they did so either because they had not received a ballot by mail or because they did not trust the United States Postal Service. |
| “The system is rigged,” said Robert Buchanan, a 41-year-old Santa Clarita resident who lost his job in film production in March. A staunch Republican, Mr. Buchanan echoed the doubts voiced by the president. “This is the only way I can try to make sure that my vote matters, and even then, will it really?” | “The system is rigged,” said Robert Buchanan, a 41-year-old Santa Clarita resident who lost his job in film production in March. A staunch Republican, Mr. Buchanan echoed the doubts voiced by the president. “This is the only way I can try to make sure that my vote matters, and even then, will it really?” |
| The race had turned nasty in recent weeks, with an onslaught of negative advertisements from both sides. And national Republicans, led by Mr. Trump, repeatedly tried to sow doubts about the integrity of the election, suggesting without citing evidence that the contest was “rigged.” | The race had turned nasty in recent weeks, with an onslaught of negative advertisements from both sides. And national Republicans, led by Mr. Trump, repeatedly tried to sow doubts about the integrity of the election, suggesting without citing evidence that the contest was “rigged.” |
| With California now set to conduct November’s election primarily through the mail, the contest is also a kind of practice run for the system. The debate over vote-by-mail has grown increasingly rancorous and partisan, with Republicans portraying it as ripe for fraud, without evidence. | With California now set to conduct November’s election primarily through the mail, the contest is also a kind of practice run for the system. The debate over vote-by-mail has grown increasingly rancorous and partisan, with Republicans portraying it as ripe for fraud, without evidence. |
| Though the overwhelming majority of ballots were sent by mail, several voting centers were open Tuesday, primarily for those needing assistance or same-day voter registration. That, too, drew criticism from Mr. Trump and other Republicans, who blasted the decision to add a voting center in Lancaster — despite the fact that the move was supported by the longtime Republican mayor of the city, who supports both Mr. Garcia and the president. | Though the overwhelming majority of ballots were sent by mail, several voting centers were open Tuesday, primarily for those needing assistance or same-day voter registration. That, too, drew criticism from Mr. Trump and other Republicans, who blasted the decision to add a voting center in Lancaster — despite the fact that the move was supported by the longtime Republican mayor of the city, who supports both Mr. Garcia and the president. |
| Democrats had privately worried that Ms. Hill’s resignation had left the party vulnerable in the district. | Democrats had privately worried that Ms. Hill’s resignation had left the party vulnerable in the district. |
| Reid J. Epstein reported from Washington, and Jennifer Medina from Valencia, Calif. | Reid J. Epstein reported from Washington, and Jennifer Medina from Valencia, Calif. |