The announcement Tuesday by GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany that he would seek re-election rather than run for the Senate has sent his fellow Wisconsin Republicans scurrying for a candidate to oppose Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
Tiffany has comfortably won his Northwestern Wisconsin-based 7th District in three trips to the polls and is a solid conservative on issues from taxes to illegal immigration. Speculation had been mounting for weeks that, at 65, he would go all out in a challenge to two-termer Baldwin — the first open lesbian to be elected to the Senate.
"Tom sure had a base up north," State GOP Chair Brian Schimming told Newsmax. "He also won easily, and Trump carried his district twice with 58%. We hoped Tom would take a serious look at a Senate race, but, privately, he wasn't leaning toward it. So we really weren't surprised by his decision."
Now reportedly exploring the GOP primary are Madison businessman Eric Hovde, whose family has been a fixture in the Badger State for a century; Franklin businessman Scott Mayer; and former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke.
Hovde, who came within 19,000 votes of defeating popular former four-term Gov. Tommy Thompson in the 2012 Senate primary, is now the most-discussed Republican prospect. As one observer remarked, "Eric has run before and, as CEO of the family real estate development business, he can write a personal check to cover the entire campaign."
Wisconsin Public Radio noted that Baldwin won her last race by a comfortable 11 percentage points and has so far raised more than $5.5 million for 2024.
"That's all true," said Schimming, "but since 2000, we've had 11 statewide races in which the outcome was decided by less than 30,000 votes. And when you realize Baldwin has voted 95% of the time with Joe Biden and that his numbers are tanking in Wisconsin, you know you have a race on your hands."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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