One day after Donald Trump was deemed the next U.S. President, the Wisconsin campaign that had garnered attention from all over the country was called by the Associated Press, resulting in Tammy Baldwin becoming the Democratic winner of the swing state’s Senate race.
However, Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde said he will not concede yet and is considering asking for a recount.
Baldwin won the race against Hovde by 49.4% to 48.5% with a margin of 28,958 votes.
A candidate in Wisconsin can only ask for a recount if the official tally shows the candidate losing by one percentage point or less. Hovde will have to wait for a recount until all Wisconsin counties certify their results, which will not be until Nov. 19.
“Once the final information is available and all options are reviewed, I will announce my decision on how I will proceed,” Hovde said.
Hovde posted a five-minute video to X (formerly Twitter) expressing his thoughts on the inconsistencies in the Senate race. He explained the discrepancies in numbers, voter rules and a spoiler candidate. This spoiler candidate is Thomas Leager, who is a part of the America First Party and who Hovde believed was planted to draw votes.
The Milwaukee Election Commission released a statement in response to Hovde’s claim for a recount:
“The [Election Commission] celebrates the dedication of Milwaukee residents to participate in the democratic process and is fully confident that Mr. Hovde’s accusations lack any merit. Milwaukee voters can rest assured: the [Election Commission] conducted a fair, accurate and secure election that fully protects voter rights and preserves the democratic process.”
The Baldwin campaign also shared their thoughts on the request for a recount.
“Eric Hovde has stooped as low as a politician can go, sowing doubt about our very democracy,” Andrew Mamo, the spokesman for the Baldwin campaign, said.
The Marquette Wire reached out to both the Baldwin and Hovde campaigns directly for comment. We did not receive a response from either campaign.
This story was written by Bridget Lisle. She can be reached at [email protected].
