Shilling, Kapanke state Senate race tightens after official count

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A state Senate race in western Wisconsin that was too close to call on Election Day has drawn even tighter.

Unofficial results from last week’s election in the 32nd Senate District showed Democratic Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling led Republican challenger Dan Kapanke by 58 votes. Officials in the four counties in the district — La Crosse, Crawford, Monroe and Vernon — completed their official counts Monday and Tuesday. The new tallies show Shilling picked up five verified provisional ballots and Kapanke seven verified provisional votes. All told, that leaves Shilling ahead by 56 votes.

It looks all but certain that Kapanke will request a recount. His campaign manager, Jerry Ponio, didn’t immediately return messages Tuesday.