With only days remaining before the Nov. 5 election, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and her Republican challenger Eric Hovde traded steely accusations and sought to clarify their own positions in a debate on Friday night.
The debate’s mood frequently appeared tense as the candidates traded stinging lines and regularly accused the other of lying or misrepresenting their rival’s background, policy positions and record.
“The one thing you’ve perfected in Washington is your ability to lie,” Hovde said, while the pair were discussing the future of Social Security.
The debate comes at a critical moment for both U.S. Senate candidates’ campaigns. With one of Wisconsin’s Senate seats up for grabs and in a race that some recent polls suggest appears to be narrowing, the debate was a moment for both to speak directly to voters. The hour-long debate, hosted by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation, was held in Madison in what might be the only debate between the two candidates before the election.
The debate moved at a fast pace with Baldwin and Hovde covering a wide range of subjects – all prompted by questions posed by Wisconsin broadcast journalists – with both candidates seeking to emphasize key talking points about the issues while casting a negative view of their opponent. The subjects covered included: Health care and the Affordable Care Act; abortion and reproductive health; immigration; the war in Ukraine; Israel’s war against Hamas and Hezbollah in the Middle East; the farm bill in the Senate; the cost of child care; a code of ethics for the U.S. Supreme Court justices; cleanup efforts related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); the role of the federal government in safeguarding voting rights and election integrity; measures to respond to the fentanyl crisis; And ways to boost bipartisanship in the federal government.
As they talked policy, the exchanges veered into the personal realm at times. Hovde repeated suggested that the business dealings of Baldwin’s partner created the appearance of a conflict of interest.
“Eric Hovde should stay out of my personal life,” Baldwin said. “And I think I speak for most Wisconsin women that he should stay out of all of our personal lives.”
One of the most charged exchanges occurred over a question of whether the candidates would withdraw campaign ads that nonpartisan fact checkers have determined as inaccurate or misleading. Both candidates accused the other of lying.
“Eric Hovde is lying,” Baldwin said of his campaign ads.
“Every single one of Tammy Baldwin’s ads has been a lie,” Hovde responded.
Making his case for getting voters’ support, Hovde sought to paint Baldwin as a candidate who has long served in Washington, D.C., and a lawmaker who has supported the current Biden administration, which he said is taking the country in the wrong direction.
“I think it’s time for a change,” he said. “I promise you I will work hard on your behalf and I’d be honored to have your vote.”
By contrast, Baldwin sought to make the case that she is representing the people of Wisconsin and has supported policies to help state residents. She also cautioned against Hovde’s honesty, questioned whether he was really a Wisconsin resident because he owns a home in California and argued his positions are geared to primarily aid the wealthy.
“I fight for Wisconsin and only Wisconsin. That is something I take great pride in,” she said. “This election is about regaining our rights and freedoms. This election is about helping working people get ahead. Not supporting a $4 trillion tax cut for the rich and big corporations. I ask for your vote.”
Baldwin, who is the state’s junior senator, has served since 2013 and was reelected in 2018. She previously represented Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District from 1999 to 2013 before winning her Senate seat in 2012. Previously, Baldwin served in the state Assembly in the 1990s. She is originally from Madison.
Hovde is a businessman and CEO of Hovde Properties, a real estate firm that owns buildings in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Janesville and Waunakee, and two banks: H Bancorp, a bank holding company, and Sunwest Bank, which has locations in California, Florida, Arizona, Idaho and Utah, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. His family also owns another banking company. Like Baldwin, Hovde originally hails from Madison. He had previously run in the Republican primary for the Senate seat in 2012, but lost to former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson.
As part of hosting Friday’s debate, the WBA Foundation assembled a group of journalists to research and factcheck the candidates’ answers. The team’s work on the debate and more information about the debate can be found on the foundation’s website.
