The battle for Wisconsin’s coveted Senate seat is heating up, with Tuesday’s primaries set to solidify the matchup between incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Republican challenger Eric Hovde. The Badger State is a key battleground, rated as “lean Democratic” for the Senate and a “toss-up” for the presidential election.
Vice President Kamala Harris has injected new energy into the campaign, stumping with Baldwin on multiple occasions since becoming the Democratic nominee. Baldwin has welcomed the boost, saying it’s a “new beginning” for her campaign.
The stakes are high, as a Republican win would all but guarantee a Senate majority for the GOP. Democrats must hold the seat to maintain their majority. Baldwin’s campaign has seen an uptick in volunteers, grassroots contributions, and door-knocking efforts since Harris’s rise to the top of the ticket.
Baldwin, seeking a third term, has maintained a steady lead in the polls over Hovde, a wealthy businessman who has loaned his campaign $13 million. Hovde, backed by former President Donald Trump and the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, faces nominal competition from two other GOP primary opponents.
The Hovde campaign views Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), as a liability, citing their support for the Biden-Harris economic agenda. “She voted for every single word of the Biden-Harris economic agenda that’s put us onto the brink of a recession,” a source close to Hovde said of Baldwin.
Baldwin’s campaign plans to focus heavily on access to abortion and women’s reproductive health, which they see as a winning issue. In contrast, Hovde’s campaign is emphasizing the economy and affordability, a national playbook the GOP is using to capitalize on inflation and high interest rates.
Hovde’s campaign is also working to boost his name recognition against Baldwin, who has been in Congress since 1998. While Hovde is an “outsider” in the sense that he’s not a career politician, Democrats argue that he’s out of touch with Wisconsin values due to his California ties and past remarks on the campaign trail.
Hovde has faced criticism for comments suggesting that nursing home residents may be too elderly to vote, that overweight people should pay more for healthcare, and that children raised by single mothers may face challenges.
Democrats have seized on these remarks, labeling Hovde a “California, out-of-touch rich guy” who has made “jerky and disrespectful” comments about Wisconsinites.
