WASHINGTON — After months of speculation, Republican businessman Eric Hovde formally declared his candidacy Tuesday against U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
In making his announcement, he railed against President Joe Biden, the economy, crime and the influx of migrants at the southern border. He also said it’s time for bipartisanship.
“I don’t believe what’s going on in Washington works. In the world of business, if you want to get things done, you have to compromise,” he said.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, is pinning its hopes on Hovde after more well-known Republicans, like Congressman Mike Gallagher, ruled out running. One reason is that Hovde spent millions of dollars of his own money in an unsuccessful race for Senate 12 years ago, and is willing to dig deep into his own pockets again. Baldwin has proven to be a popular vote-getter and successful fundraiser, but the Wisconsin Democratic chairman said Baldwin has her work cut out for her.
“She’s up against a wall of money from the far right,” said Ben Wikler, the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. “We’re going to have to fight for every vote in every county in the state of Wisconsin. This is not a race we can take for granted.”
Wisconsin Democrats have been attacking Hovde for months and did so again on Tuesday, criticizing him for not mentioning Wisconsin in the video he released on social media announcing his candidacy.
Democrats call him a carpetbagger who spends more time in California tending to his business interests than in the Badger State. It’s an argument that Baldwin’s campaign will continue to make.
“How people spend their time reflects their priorities. For Eric Hovde, it’s building a bank in California,” Wikler said. “For Tammy Baldwin, it’s fighting for Wisconsinites. And when voters have a choice between those two things, it’s pretty clear what Wisconsin voters are going to prefer.”
Hovde grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
During his press conference, Hovde and his brother Steve emphasized their Wisconsin roots.
“We have a lot of employees here. We’ve invested a great amount of money here. We love Wisconsin,” said Hovde’s brother.
Another businessman, Scott Mayer, and former Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke are also mulling runs against Baldwin, but have not yet announced.
Democrats have a slim majority in the Senate, and Baldwin’s seat could determine control of the upper chamber in the next Congress.