Tammy Baldwin Acceptance Speech (Transcript)

— -- This is the ABC News transcript of Tammy Baldwin acceptance speech to the U.S. Senate for Wisconsin.

"Thank you!! Wow! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, thank you everybody. Tonight—tonight we have won a huge victory for Wisconsin's middle class!

And it is that battle for Wisconsin's middle class that has been what this journey is all about. Everywhere that I have gone in our beautiful state, people have told me that they want a senator who will listen to the middle class when they want help. A senator who will stand on the side of the middle class. A senator who will wake up every morning and fight for the middle class. They have told me that they want an economy in which everyone plays by the same rules and does their fair share!

They have told me that they want a level playing field. One where China cant cheat our workers, millionaires cant dodge taxes, and wall street cant crash our economy with risky gambling. They have told me that they want to pay down our debt without short changing our future. They have told me that they want to be able to rely on the guarantees of Medicare and SS not just today but for future generations. Most of all, they have told me the special interests have too much power in Washington and it is time for the people's voice to be heard!

Well, the people's voice was heard tonight, Wisconsin! And come January, your voice will be heard in the U.S. SENATE!

I am honored and humbled and grateful and ready to get to work. Ready to stand with President Barack Obama. And ready to fight for Wisconsin's middle class!

Now, I am well aware that I will have the honor of being WI's first woman senator! And I am well aware that I will be the first openly gay member!

But—but I didn't run to make history. I ran to make a difference! A difference in the lives of families struggling to find work and pay their bills. A difference in the lives of students worried about debt. And seniors worried about their retirement security. A difference in the lives of veterans who fought for us and need someone fighting for them and their families. A difference in the lives of entrepreneurs trying to build a business and working people trying to build some economic security. But in choosing me as the person to tackle those challenges, the people of WI have made history. And I can't tell you how grateful I am in the trust you have placed in me, and all I can tell you is that I will work as hard as I can to keep that trust!