Republicans are persisting in their campaign to gain control of the Senate, and their focus has now shifted to the key state of Wisconsin. Eric Hovde, a successful Republican businessman and real estate mogul, is determined to challenge the incumbent Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin, in an effort to bring about a change in representation for the state.
The Senate Leadership Fund, the political action committee headed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, has allocated a significant amount of money for ad spots. With a reservation of $13.1 million, the PAC has faced criticism from fellow Republicans who accuse McConnell of showing favoritism in distributing funds.
“The momentum is on my side,” Hovde confidently stated during a recent event in Milwaukee. He is determined to seize the funds and has a clear plan to win this race. Hovde firmly believes that staying focused on what truly matters will lead him to victory.
Throughout the campaign, Democrats have consistently outspent Republicans on advertising in the Wisconsin race. According to AdImpact, which monitors campaign ad spending, the Democrats have spent a total of $93 million, whereas the GOP has spent $69 million. The Associated Press reports that a significant portion of the Democratic spending on ads can be attributed to Baldwin’s campaign, while Hovde has relied more heavily on support from outside groups.
With less than a month remaining until the elections, new reports on partisan spending are surfacing as the race tightens.
The Cook Political Report recently changed the status of the race to “toss-up,” indicating that it has become highly competitive. According to The Hill, both public and internal polling data have raised concerns that Hovde is narrowing the polling gap.
Cook’s Swing State Project surveys indicate that Baldwin’s lead has decreased since August. It has gone from a 7-point lead to a 2-point lead last week, making it the tightest Senate race among the five battleground states tested.
According to FiveThirtyEight, the Democratic incumbent holds a 4.2 percentage point lead over her Republican challenger. On the other hand, Decision Desk HQ and The Hill’s polling average suggests that Baldwin has a narrower advantage of 2.8 percentage points over Hovde.
According to Wisconsin-based Democratic strategist Thad Nation, Baldwin’s campaign has been actively informing their supporters that this race is becoming more competitive. This has led to increased concern among Democrats in this closely watched contest.
Securing a victory in Wisconsin holds immense importance for Democrats as they strive to maintain their Senate majority. This becomes even more challenging considering the unfavorable odds they face, having more seats to defend compared to Republicans.
The Republican Party is only two seats away from gaining control of Congress. This possibility becomes more realistic as some of Baldwin’s fellow Democratic incumbents grow more at ease in their positions.
In Montana, Republican Tim Sheehy is now considered the frontrunner to unseat Senator Jon Tester (D), while Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio is facing a highly contested race against Republican Bernie Moreno. The open Senate seat in Michigan is also deemed as a toss-up.