Republican Eric Hovde refused Tuesday to concede defeat in the Wisconsin Senate race, casting doubt on the results despite a lack of evidence of any wrongdoing in
last week’s election
.
In a four-and-a-half minute video
posted to X
, Hovde said he was considering whether to seek a recount in the battleground state contest, which NBC News and other outlets called for Sen. Tammy Baldwin last week. She
currently leads
by less than 30,000 votes, 49.4% to 48.5%, with 99% of the vote counted.
Wisconsin allows candidates to
request a recount
, but they are required to cover the expenses if the margin of victory is larger than 0.25 percentage points.
But Hovde also suggested that a recount would not fully address the “voting inconsistencies” he claimed occurred.
“While I’m deeply concerned, asking for a recount is a serious decision that requires careful consideration,” Hovde said. “Further there are meaningful limits on a recount because they don’t look at the integrity of the ballot.”
Hovde pointed to the absentee ballots Milwaukee reported early Wednesday morning, which went heavily for Baldwin, as an “improbable” outcome, arguing it didn’t match the in-person voting pattern in the city.
But Democrats have traditionally been more likely to vote absentee than Republicans, and Milwaukee is one of the main Democratic bastions in Wisconsin. In addition, election workers
are not allowed to begin processing absentee ballots
until Election Day, which often leads to those votes getting reported later.
Hovde also claimed that certain precincts in Milwaukee had voter turnout that was higher than the number of registered voters on file. But that does not account for voters who registered on Election Day, which is allowed in Wisconsin.
In a statement, the Milwaukee County Election Commission said it “unequivocally refutes Eric Hovde’s baseless claims regarding the integrity of our election process.”
“Every aspect of the MEC’s operations was conducted with transparency and in strict adherence to established laws and procedures,” the statement read.
Shortly after Hovde posted his video, Baldwin
took to X
to criticize him.
“Eric Hovde is spreading lies from the darkest corners of the internet to undercut our free and fair elections,” Baldwin said. “Wisconsin voters made their voices heard. It’s time for Hovde to stop this disgusting attack on our democracy and concede.”
Asked by NBC News if he would accept the results of his race the day before Election Day, Hovde responded, “Of course.”
Despite Hovde’s loss to Baldwin, President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris
in Wisconsin
.
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