USA Today – Freshman Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin has been tapped to lead the Democratic campaign to get more women into the Senate and re-elect those who are already there.

Baldwin will chair the Democratic Women’s Senate Network (WSN) for the 2014 elections, when her sister senators Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire are up for re-election. Baldwin’s appointment was announced Thursday by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Sen. Michael Bennet, chairman of the DSCC, proclaimed Baldwin is the “perfect person” to lead the group.

“She ran an exceptionally good race against a tough opponent and she’s already generating excitement among donors, activists and volunteers across the country,” Bennet said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the Republican agenda is dangerous for the health and safety of women and girls.”

Baldwin defeated former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson in November and raised $14.6 million for her successful race. Democrats have 21 seats to defend next year vs. 14 for Republicans, and Landrieu and Hagan could find themselves in tough races.

Hagan was in charge of the Women’s Senate Network in the 2012 election cycle, in which Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii were elected. There are now a record 20 women in the Senate: 16 of them Democrats and four Republicans.

via Baldwin to lead campaign for more Democratic women.