Wisconsin GOP Senate candidate weighing options after race called for opponent

Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde released a video Tuesday questioning the Wisconsin election results that show he lost to incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) last week.

“Many people have been wondering why I have remained quiet since election night. I believe it's better not to comment until I have the facts,” Hovde says in the video he posted to social media.

Hovde said he went from receiving “congratulations” calls to doubting a shocking loss after more than 100,000 new absentee ballots were reported.

“Like many of my supporters, I was shocked by what unfolded on election night. At 1 a.m., I was receiving calls of congratulations, and based on the models, it appeared I would win the Senate race,” he said. “Then, at 4 a.m., Milwaukee reported approximately 108,000 absentee ballots, with Sen. Baldwin receiving nearly 90 percent of those ballots.”

Decision Desk HQ/The Hill declared Baldwin the race's winner, with 49.4 percent of the vote to Hovde's 48.5 percent. There are 28,955 votes separating them.

The legislative hopeful blamed the loss on same-day voter registration and poorly maintained voter rolls, and mentioned considering a recount effort in lieu of discrepancies. 

“Many people have reached out and urged me to contest the election. 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 a ballot.”

He claimed Democrats “organized and funded” America First candidate Thomas Leager, who aligned with President-elect Trump, to detract voters from Hovde, and also supported Libertarian candidate Phil Anderson.

“What happened in this election does not inspire confidence in our process, and that is wrong. Throughout my campaign, I've emphasized the need to come together, restore trust in our elections, reduce divisions and focus on building a better Wisconsin for everyone,” Hovde emphasized.

“Once the final information is available and all options are reviewed, I will announce my decision on how I will proceed.”

The tentative deadline to request a recount in the U.S. Senate race is between Nov. 19 and Nov. 22. Hovde could potentially be financially responsible for the effort under the state's rule regarding the threshold for a Wisconsin payout.

The state will pay for recounts in elections where more than 4,000 votes are cast if the margin between two candidates is less than or equal to 0.25 percent of the total vote. If the margin is greater than those covered by the state, the requester pays.