On Thursday, a shirtless U.S. Senate candidate broke through the ice of Lake Madison to throw cold water on the idea that he was a meek Californian rather than a tough Wisconsinite.
And Eric Hovde challenged his Democratic opponent, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, to take the plunge.
Mr. Hovde, a billionaire Republican, is trying to counter attacks from Baldwin and Democrats that he is closer to the Golden State than the Dairy State. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Mr. Hovde also owns $7 million in real estate in Laguna Beach, Calif., and is CEO of California-based H Bancorp and its main subsidiary, Sunwest Bank.
Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde releases first television campaign ad
Hovde posted a video to X on Thursday showing him pushing through a half-inch layer of ice on Lake Mendota outside his home.
On February 29, 2024, on frozen Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, a shirtless U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde tries to prove he’s more of a hardy Wisconsinite than a mild-mannered Californian. (Eric Hovde, via AP)
“It was tough to break through, but it’s good to get out of here and enjoy the cold,” Hovde said before pointing the camera at his shirtless torso.
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“So when Democrats and Sen. Baldwin keep saying I’m not from Wisconsin, it’s a complete joke,” Hovde says to the camera with a laugh. “Okay, Senator Baldwin, let’s go out on this frozen lake and actually see who’s from Wisconsin.”
Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesperson Arik Wolk doubled down in the face of the challenge.
“If California bank owner Eric Hovde thinks sitting on a lake will prevent him from talking to the people of Wisconsin about California banks, California mansions, and connections to California, then he “I’ll be swimming for eight months straight,” Wolk said. statement.
