Voting rights advocates urged Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde on Thursday to retract his claims of irregularities in vote-counting after his loss to Sen. Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin’s recent election.
This is a direct attempt to cast doubt on our free and fair elections, which is both disappointing and unnecessary, said Sam Liebert, state director for All Voting is Local, a nonpartisan organization advocating for equitable voting access.
At a news conference held outside the Wisconsin Elections Commission office, speakers highlighted the state’s history of closely contested elections and called Hovde’s claims harmful to public trust. Donald Trump won, Tammy Baldwin won, Kamala Harris lost, and Eric Hovde lost, said Scott Thompson of the nonprofit Law Forward.
Hovde has yet to concede, despite the Associated Press calling the race for Baldwin, who led by nearly 29,000 votes with 99% of votes counted. Baldwin declared victory shortly after the AP’s announcement.
In a video released Tuesday, Hovde cited “inconsistencies in Milwaukee’s absentee ballot count, where Baldwin received 82% of 108,000 ballots, consistent with recent voting trends. Hovde falsely claimed her margin was statistically improbable and suggested he may contest the results.
Advocates criticized Hovde’s shifting statements, noting he referred to the outcome as a loss” in a radio interview while questioning the results online. He’s talking out of both sides of his mouth, said Nick Ramos, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
Ramos also pointed out bipartisan legislation that could have resolved late-night absentee ballot counts stalled in the state Senate. He argued such delays fuel unnecessary suspicion.
Hovde has until Nov. 22 to request a recount, permitted under state law for margins under 1%, though he must pay if the margin exceeds 0.25%. Critics maintain that while he is entitled to pursue legal avenues, baseless claims only undermine democracy.