The Wisconsin Senate race pits him against a Trump-backed millionaire and an incumbent Democrat

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race pits two-term incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin against Republican Eric Hovde, a millionaire businessman backed by former President Donald Trump, who poured millions of money into the contest.

A Baldwin victory is crucial for Democrats to retain their 51-49 majority in the Senate. Democrats are appearing 23 placesincluding three owned by independents who caucus with them. That’s compared to just 11 seats that Republicans hope to keep in their column.

While Baldwin’s electoral record is liberal, she emphasized bipartisanship throughout the campaign. Baldwin became the first statewide Democratic candidate to win an endorsement from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, the state’s largest agricultural organization, in more than 20 years.

Her first TV ad noted that her Buy American bill had been signed into law by Trump. In July, she pushed for Senate committee approval of a bill she co-authored with Trump colleague Sen. JD Vance that seeks to ensure that taxpayer-funded inventions are made in the United States.

Hovde tried to portray Baldwin as an out-of-touch liberal career politician who has not done enough to fight inflation, illegal immigration and crime.

Hovde’s wealth, primarily running Sunwest Bank in Utah and owning a $7 million estate in Laguna Beach, California, was a key line of attack for Baldwin, who sought to cast him as an outsider who did not represents Wisconsin. the values.

Baldwin also attacked Hovde over his opposition to abortion rights.

Hovde said he supports the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, but said he would not vote for a federal law banning abortion, leaving it up to the states. This is a change in his stance from his last Senate run in 2012, when he was “totally opposed” to abortion.

Baldwin’s television commercials had a consistent theme that Hovde insulted farmers, older residents, parents and others. Hovde, who was born in Madison and owns a home there, accused Baldwin of misrepresenting his comments, lying about his record and defrauding voters.

Baldwin won his first Senate race in 2012 against popular former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson by nearly 6 percentage points. Hovde lost to Thompson in that year’s primary.

Hovde attacked Baldwin for serving in elected office since 1987, including the last 12 years in the Senate and 14 in the House before that.