Eric Hovde: Wisconsin Republicans officially endorse Senate candidate
APPLETON, Wis. - In November, Wisconsin voters will help decide whether Democrats or Republicans control the U.S. Senate. On Saturday, the state GOP officially got behind its candidate.
Eric Hovde might be down in the polls, but he now has the Republican Party of Wisconsin's official endorsement in the race against incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin. He also has the support of former President Donald Trump.
"What has this debt done and this reckless spending?" Hovde said. "Ignited the worst inflation we've seen in 40 years: food prices up, gas prices up, insurance prices up, housing costs, everything."
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Hovde was the only Republican who met the qualifications to speak and be on the state party's endorsement ballot, but some wanted to hear from Rejani Raveendran – another Republican running for the Senate seat.
Leaders said Raveendran was not allowed to speak at Saturday's convention in Appleton because she did not meet the qualifications.
Eric Hovde speaks at Wisconsin Republican Convention
While Republicans gathered in the Fox Valley, Democrats spoke over Zoom on Saturday.
"Donald Trump, Eric Hovde, legislative Republicans are too extreme for Wisconsin," said Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine). "President Biden, Sen. Baldwin and Democrats up and down the ballot are fighting for our children to enjoy a future with more freedoms, not less."
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"It’s clear Trump’s chaos and extremism is hurting the GOP here in the one state that could decide the entire election," said Ben Wikler, Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair.
The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Baldwin with a 6.8-point lead over Hovde. Democrats have an infrastructural advantage when it comes to campaign offices; they have 47 campaign offices across Wisconsin, while a Republican source tells FOX6 the party will have 30 in the state by June 1.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin will hold its state convention next month in Milwaukee. The 2024 Republican National Convention will come to the city in July.