Tammy Baldwin Wins Wisconsin Senate Seat in 2024 Election, Beats Eric Hovde

Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin secured a narrow victory in her bid for a third term, defeating GOP challenger Eric Hovde in a race that had drawn national attention. With 98.6% of the votes counted, Baldwin led by a slim 49.3% to 48.6%, a margin of about 25,614 votes. The race had initially seemed to favor Hovde as Baldwin trailed throughout the night, but absentee ballots from Milwaukee provided the late surge needed for Baldwin to claim victory.

Hovde, who had previously run unsuccessfully for Senate, suggested that the close race was influenced by a far-right candidate, Thomas Leager, who had been recruited by a group of Democrats pretending to be conservatives. Leager’s candidacy drew more than 28,000 votes, which Hovde believed split the Republican vote.

Despite the tight race, Baldwin’s victory cements her reputation as a formidable force in Wisconsin politics, having not lost an election in her 38 years in public office. Baldwin's campaign was notably funded by small contributions, while Hovde, a wealthy banking mogul, financed much of his own campaign. Baldwin’s win also comes as the Republicans flipped control of the U.S. Senate, meaning she will return to the Senate in the minority.

The race saw heightened tensions and attacks, with Baldwin accusing Hovde of unfairly attacking her personal life, while Hovde responded with ads targeting Baldwin’s relationship with Wall Street. Despite these tensions, Baldwin’s victory marked another personal achievement in her long political career, as she vowed to continue fighting for Wisconsin’s working-class families and farmers.

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