Sen. Tammy Baldwin faces Eric Hovde in Wisconsin Senate race

Sen. Tammy Baldwin is fighting to clasp onto her Senate seat successful a tight title against Republican Eric Hovde successful nan battleground authorities of Wisconsin. 

The spot is 1 of respective up for election successful 2024 that are seen arsenic important for power of nan Senate, arsenic Republicans activity to build a majority. The title successful nan Badger State, among nan astir competitory this cycle, has been a bruising 1 arsenic nan 2 candidates each sought to represent nan different arsenic coastal elites retired of measurement pinch Wisconsinites. 

Baldwin, 62, was first elected to nan Senate successful 2012 aft representing Wisconsin successful nan House for much than a decade. She has a agelong history of courting agrarian voters successful nan authorities — successful her past race, she won counties that had supported Trump, contempt her progressive politics. 

Hovde, 60, besides sought nan GOP information successful 2012, but it went to erstwhile Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who went connected to suffer nan predetermination to Baldwin. As president and CEO of Utah-based Sunwest Bank, Hovde is 1 of a number of Republican Senate candidates recruited successful portion for their expertise to money their ain campaigns this cycle. 

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) and Republican challenger Eric Hovde. Getty Images

On nan run trail, Baldwin painted Hovde arsenic an out-of-touch able businessman. He campaigned connected issues for illustration migration and criticized Baldwin for her grounds successful Washington.

The title grew individual successful nan campaign's last stages, arsenic Republicans ads raised innuendoes astir Baldwin's semipermanent partner, a financial adviser, and her business ties. While Republicans person demanded that Baldwin disclose her partner's assets, claiming successful advertisements that Baldwin is "in furniture pinch Wall Street" and dubbing her nan "third legislator from New York," Democrats accused nan GOP of trying to tie attraction to her sexuality. Baldwin is nan first openly LGBTQ legislator successful history.

Meanwhile, Democrats worked to item Hovde's connections to California. They've besides zeroed successful connected a number of arguable comments by Hovde, including nan proposal that group successful nursing homes don't person nan capacity to vote.

The Cook Political Report rated nan title arsenic a toss-up heading into Election Day, shifting its standing from lean-Democrat successful early October arsenic nan authorities appeared to tighten. Baldwin was considered nan astir susceptible of nan Democratic Senate candidates successful nan "blue wall" states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, and Hovde saw immoderate momentum successful nan precocious stages of nan campaign.

In:
• United States Senate
• Wisconsin
• 2024 Elections