Wisconsin Republicans held control of the State Senate late Tuesday night, with four GOP incumbents withstanding Democratic challenges in recall elections, however two incumbent Republicans lost their seats to Democratic challengers.

Republican State Senators Robert Cowles, Sheila Harsdorf, Luther Olsen and Alberta Darling beat their Democratic challengers by wide margins. However incumbent Republican senators Dan Kapanke and Randy Hopper lost to their Democratic challengers in close races.

Democrats fell short of the three seats they needed to capture control from the GOP, and will now have a difficult time overturning Gov. Scott Walker’s legislation that strips most public employees of collective bargaining rights.

Democrats will also have to defend two senate seats they currently hold, in next Tuesdays recall elections, with Republicans trying to broaden their majority in the upper chamber.