Wisconsin Senate candidate once complained about alcohol industry, which employs over 161,000 in state

GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde once had harsh words for the alcohol industry, which employs tens of thousands of workers in his (debatable) home state of Wisconsin.

According to Rolling Stone, while mulling a U.S. Senate run in 2017, Hovde said that he would only allow people who brew or distill alcohol themselves to have access to it if it were his decision. Hovde also said it would hard to contend with the alcohol industry in Wisconsin, where prominent brewing companies like Miller, Pabst and Schlitz call home.

“The horse is out of the barn, and it’s going to be hard to put back,” Hovde admitted.

According to figures from the Wisconsin Tavern League, more than 161,000 Wisconsin jobs are provided by the alcohol industry, and the industry generates $2.6 billion in tax revenue in return. Hovde’s likely opponent, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D), responded by voicing her support for the brewing industry on X.

Wisconsin makes the best beer in the world. Our brewers are an important part of our #MadeinWI economy, and I’m proud to be their champion in the Senate.

Cheers to that! pic.twitter.com/gTBwkxHjri

— Tammy Baldwin (@tammybaldwin) March 13, 2024

Hovde also voiced his displeasure with marijuana, which is not legal recreationally in Wisconsin. Gov. Tony Evers (D) and other Democrats have led efforts to legalize marijuana in the state, although they have gained little support from the Republican-controlled Legislature. Recreational marijuana can generate hundreds of millions of dollars for states, with California routinely collecting more than $1 billion annually.

Hovde announced his U.S. Senate bid last month despite his extensive ties to California, where he owns a $7 million mansion and is the CEO of a California-based bank.