Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde has refused to concede to Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D), spreading unfounded claims of electoral inconsistencies after she was projected the winner of the race last week.
“Like many of my supporters, I was shocked by what unfolded on election night,” Hovde said in a video posted to social media Tuesday. “At 1 a.m. I was receiving calls of congratulations, and, based on the models, it appeared I would win the Senate race. Then, at 4 a.m., Milwaukee reported approximately 108,000 absentee ballots, with Senator Baldwin receiving nearly 90% of those ballots. Statistically, this outcome seems improbable.”
The Associated Press projected the day after the election that Baldwin — who has served in the Senate since 2013 — was the winner of the race, and current tallies have her leading Hovde by just over 29,000 votes with 95% of votes counted. In Milwaukee County, she won more than 69% of votes compared with Hovde’s 29%.
President-elect Donald Trump also carried the state in his sweep of battlegrounds, and currently has just over 29,000 votes more than Vice President Kamala Harris there.
Hovde said he was still weighing his options as the state tallies its final votes, adding he is not yet ready to commit to a recount as doing so is a “serious decision that requires full consideration.” Under the current margin, Hovde’s campaign would have to pay for a recount.
“Once the final information is available and all options are reviewed, I will announce my decision on how I will proceed,” he said.
Baldwin rejected his accusations in her own statement on Tuesday night, saying she had called on both parties to accept the results of the election. She noted to CNN that she had recognized both her own victory and that of Donald Trump in Wisconsin.
“Eric Hovde is spreading lies from the darkest corners of the internet to undercut our free and fair elections,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Wisconsin voters made their voices heard. It’s time for Hovde to stop this disgusting attack on our democracy and concede.”
Democracy In The Balance
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Republicans are expected to hold at least 52 seats in the Senate next session after wresting control of the chamber from Democrats.
