Who Won Wisconsin? Trump Demands Recount, Biden Up Nearly 21,000 Votes

President Donald Trump’s campaign said Wednesday it would request a recount in the state of Wisconsin after Democratic nominee Joe Biden was declared the winner by a razor-thin margin. Wisconsin has 10 electoral votes and both candidates are not far from the 270 needed to win the White House.

The Trump campaign cited "irregularities" in Wisconsin's count. Biden was up by a little more than 20,000 votes in Wisconsin early Wednesday.

As of 4:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Biden had 1,630,396 votes while Trump had 1,609,879, with 99% of votes reporting.

“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.

The state is considered crucial for both candidates. Trump won Wisconsin by less than 1% in 2016.

There are no automatic recounts in Wisconsin, but a candidate who is within 1% of the winner can request one.

According to Ballotpedia a recount in Wisconsin "can be requested within three business days of the county canvass except for presidential election recounts, which must be requested on the first business day following the canvass. The margin required is 40 votes in a race with fewer than 4,000 votes or 1% in a race with more than 4,000 votes. No margin is required to request the recount of a ballot measure. The deadline for completion is within 13 days of the order for the recount."

Biden’s campaign expressed confidence earlier Wednesday that the former vice president would ultimately be declared the winner in Wisconsin, as well as Michigan and Pennsylvania, by a wider margin than Trump won those same states in 2016.

“We are going to win Wisconsin, recount or no recount,” Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said on a call with reporters when asked about a potential recount in Wisconsin.

Trump carried Wisconsin by less than 23,000 votes in the 2016 election. A recount was conducted but there was little change to the result.

Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican who ran for president in 2016, expressed doubts on Wednesday about a potential recount changing the outcome if the winner has a lead of 20,000 votes.

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

Trump campaign officials signaled on a call with reporters earlier Wednesday that they would mount legal challenges in states in order to challenge some votes. Most notably the Trump campaign filed a "suit today in the Michigan Court of Claims to halt counting until meaningful access has been granted."