Eric Hovde wins Republican nomination to face Sen. Tammy Baldwin

Businessman Eric Hovde won the Republican nomination for the Wisconsin U.S. Senate race Tuesday night, officially setting the stage for his expected race against two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

Hovde, who has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, defeated his two Republican challengers — University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point student Rejani Raveendran and Sharon farmer Charles Barman — without trouble. 

Hovde wrote on social media that he looks “forward to earning everyone’s support this November. We’ve got a country to go save.”

Baldwin, who was uncontested in the primary, said she was “honored to receive the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate to continue our fight to lower costs for Wisconsin families, stand up for American jobs and manufacturing, and restore our reproductive freedoms.”

“My opponent Eric Hovde is a multimillionaire California bank owner who has insulted our seniors, our farmers, our moms, and just about everyone else in our great state,” Baldwin said. “While he runs to put the wealthy and well connected like himself first, I will always stand up for the working people of Wisconsin.”

In a statement, Hovde said that his campaign focus is to defeat Baldwin and “restore the American Dream” in Wisconsin. 

“Tammy Baldwin has been in Washington for twenty-five years and things have only gotten worse. It’s time for change. I will always put the people of Wisconsin first by working tirelessly to lower costs, secure the southern border, and fix our broken healthcare system,” Hovde said. 

The most recent Marquette University Law School poll had Baldwin leading Hovde 53% to 46%. Baldwin has also been outraising Hovde, though personal loans have been helping the businessman keep up with the incumbent.