Republican challenger Eric Hovde conceded his race to Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin on Monday.
Hovde lost to the incumbent, who is in his second term, by less than 1 percentage point, the Associated Press said. called Given the closeness of the race, Hovde did not concede the race until over a week later.
“What's disappointing is the tactics used against me in this race.”
“Nine months ago, I decided to run for the United States Senate because I love this country and am deeply concerned about its direction,” Hovde said. said In a video posted on X.
“The results on election night were disappointing, especially in light of the last-minute absentee ballots dropped off in Milwaukee at 4 a.m. that flipped the results,” Hovde said.
“We have heard calls from many of our supporters to contest the election results,” Hovde said. “But without a detailed review of every ballot and its legitimacy, which is difficult to obtain in court, a request for a recount is meaningless because the integrity of the ballot Because of this result and the desire to avoid further escalation of the political conflict through a controversial recount, we decided to concede the election.''
Hovde ultimately conceded, but noted that some of the tactics used by Democrats worked to “deceive” and “mislead” voters. Notably, Democratic operatives encouraged Libertarian candidate Philip Anderson and America First candidate Thomas Rieger. collectively It received over 70,000 votes.
“I'm proud that we received over 1.64 million votes, which is more than any other Republican in Wisconsin history, not counting President Trump's total on Tuesday night,” Hovde said. “Furthermore, I would have won this election had Democratic operatives not placed a fake America First candidate on the ballot to deceive voters and siphon over 28,000 votes.”
“Democrat operatives also supported Libertarian candidates through mail and other sources without my knowledge in order to deprive me of votes,” Hovde continued. “Are these actions deceptive and misleading to voters, and do they strengthen and protect our democracy? Any fair-minded person would say no.”
Hovde also mentioned some “disappointing” tactics used against him during the race. Mr Hovde detailed the protests that took place outside his home before entering the race, as well as the “false” lawsuits filed against his company and the hundreds of “false claims” made about him. He mentioned $10,000 worth of advertising.
“Senator Baldwin's campaign was focused on making voters hate me,” Hovde said.
“Unfortunately, our current political system is broken,” Hovde continued. “Instead of candidates discussing issues and addressing voters' concerns, campaigns today often aim to raise money from special interests and launch attack ads with no basis in truth.”
Hovde concluded his message by thanking supporters and outlining future plans.
“After nine months of running from dawn to dusk and leaving it all on the field, I took a much-needed break before getting back to my business and foundation and finding other ways to make a positive impact. I intend to,” Hovde said. “One thing is for sure: I will always fight for my country, say I love it, and work to restore the American Dream. Thank you.”
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