Baldwin 1 of 12 new U.S. senators taking oath

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin is among a dozen new U.S. senators taking the oath of office.

Vice President Joe Biden swore in the 12 new senators Thursday, as well as those who won another term.

Democrats tightened their grip on the Senate with 55-45 edge following the November elections.

Baldwin is Wisconsin's first female senator and also the first openly gay candidate ever elected to the chamber. She defeated former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who had never before lost a statewide race.

In a statement to FOX 11, Baldwin wrote, "I am grateful and humbled by the trust the people of Wisconsin have placed in me and will work as hard as I can to keep that trust. I ran for U.S. Senate to make a difference, and I intend to make a difference.  We have big challenges to tackle if we want to move our nation in the right direction. I look forward to working across party lines to grow the middle class, pay down our debt without shortchanging our future, and move our economy forward for Wisconsin families and small businesses.  Together we can build a path guided by fairness and opportunity where nobody gets to play by their own set of rules, where everybody pays their fair share and everybody gets a fair shot."