Wisconsin Senate race officially set as Tammy Baldwin vs. Eric Hovde

Republican Eric Hovde officially secured the Republican nomination Tuesday for the competitive swing state’s open Senate seat. He is set to be up against Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

AP News called the race for Hovde at 8:20 p.m. CST, 20 minutes after the polls closed. As of 9:15 p.m., Hovde was leading the three-person Republican primary with over 87% of the vote. Baldwin ran uncontested in the Democratic primary.

Hovde first ran for Senate in 2012, but lost in the Republican primary to Tommy Thompson. The seat was ultimately won by Baldwin, who is now seeking reelection for a third term. This time around Hovde has received an endorsement by former President Donald Trump.

Though he was born and raised in Wisconsin, Hovde has been dubbed “Wisconsin’s California candidate” by a column in The Los Angeles Times. He has credited his Utah-based company, Sunwest Bank, as his main company and owns a $7 million mansion in Laguna Beach, Calif.

Sunwest Bank, under Hovde’s leadership, has reported significant investments from undisclosed foreign entities. He also has not said if he will divest from the bank if elected, raising concerns of conflicts of interest should he be assigned to a banking committee. Yet, he believes that only a “small handful” of voters are concerned with these issues.

The Republican nominee has also found himself at the center of multiple controversies regarding past comments on social issues and different groups of people since declaring his candidacy last February.

Hovde has sparked criticism for his remarks about the 2020 election, asserting that while he does not believe it was stolen, he found certain aspects “very troublesome.” He questioned the validity of votes cast by nursing home residents, suggesting that “if you’re in a nursing home, you only have five, six-month life expectancy. Almost nobody in a nursing home is in a point to vote.”

During his previous Senate bid in 2012, he voiced that he was “very concerned where this country is heading socially and morally,” specifically criticizing single-parent households. 

He has also made remarks about young adults and the Affordable Care Act’s provision allowing them to stay on their parents’ health insurance until age 26, calling it a “stupid idea” that delays maturity.

In an interview during a Juneteenth celebration, Hovde claimed to be well-connected with Black culture. “I’ve spent a lot of time in places like Africa, because I have homeless shelters for abandoned kids and rescuing kids out of the street,” Hovde continued during an interview on Juneteenth. “And I’ve been involved in schooling, charter schools, and things of that nature.”