Truth-checking Tammy Baldwin, Eric Hovde forward of their debate

Contents

Claims about Baldwin Claims about Hovde Different statements

Studying Time: 4 minutes

Subsequent to the presidential race, the largest Nov. 5 election in Wisconsin is for the U.S. Senate, and Wisconsin Watch is following it carefully.

We’ve revealed reality briefs on greater than 20 statements made by and concerning the incumbent, Democrat Tammy Baldwin, and her Republican challenger, Eric Hovde.

The pair sq. off for his or her solely scheduled debate Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. — a high-stakes occasion as some polls and analysts recommend the race is tightening.

The nonpartisan Prepare dinner Political Report final week shifted the race from “Leans Democratic” to “toss up” for the primary time this cycle.

A current Prepare dinner Political Report ballot discovered Baldwin forward by two factors, and inside polling from each campaigns displays that quantity. Nevertheless, a current ballot from Marquette Legislation Faculty, the gold normal in Wisconsin, discovered Baldwin main 53% to 46%.

“This tightening, as Hovde has additional consolidated Republicans behind him and introduced independents over to his aspect, is essentially predictable,” wrote Jessica Taylor, who tracks U.S. Senate races for Prepare dinner. “Wisconsin is among the most evenly divided states within the nation, and the 2022 Senate race was determined by one level.”

She famous that Baldwin nonetheless leads amongst impartial voters, although there was motion towards Hovde among the many bloc — a bunch of fickle voters who in 2022 reelected each Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

Right here’s what we’ve present in our fact-checking.

Claims about Baldwin

Transgender assault: No, Baldwin didn’t fund a transgender clinic for teens.

Baldwin directed $400,000 in 2024 federal spending to Briarpatch Youth Companies, a Madison, Wisconsin-area nonprofit that gives counseling, shelter and different companies to runaway and homeless youths. It isn’t a transgender clinic, however has a program that helps “queer youth ages 13-18.”

Hovde alluded to the earmark in claiming that Baldwin “gave all of our cash to a transgender clinic … that does this with out notifying dad and mom.”

Legalizing immigrants: Sure, Baldwin supported providing authorized standing to 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Baldwin cosponsored a 2021 invoice, which didn’t grow to be regulation, that will have supplied authorized standing — beneath sure situations — to an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, by Baldwin’s personal estimate.

The dark-money group One Nation branded Baldwin’s cosponsorship as blanket amnesty, an imprecise immigration time period.

Backing Biden: Sure, Baldwin voted with President Joe Biden’s agenda 95% of the time.

That’s per a quick we revealed in Might 2023 on an announcement made by Wisconsin Republican Social gathering chair Brian Schimming. The evaluation was by the information web site FiveThirtyEight.

Most liberal: Sure, Baldwin is rated one of the liberal members of the Senate.

That was in response to an April 2023 test we did of a social media publish. A number of scores, together with one by FiveThirtyEight, put Baldwin in that class.

Abortion funding: Sure, Baldwin proposed to spend $25 million to coach abortion suppliers.

Baldwin made that legislative proposal in 2023, as we present in checking a social media publish. No votes have been taken on the invoice.

Legislative report: Sure, Baldwin authored laws as a U.S. senator.

Baldwin has launched a whole bunch of payments, regardless of Hovde’s declare on the contrary.

Claims about Hovde

On farmers: No, Hovde didn’t say that farmers don’t work laborious.

A Baldwin TV advert mischaracterized what Hovde stated in a 2012 interview when he described historic modifications in U.S. occupations.

“We don’t have interaction in laborious labor like we did, we don’t have as many accidents on the job, most of us now are concerned in some sort of white-collar occupation, and even professions which might be concerned with handbook labor,” Hovde stated. “It’s a lot safer, way more protecting. Consider farming. Have a look at the previous bodily toil that it might take in your physique, now you’re largely driving round on a tractor.”

On seniors voting: No, Hovde didn’t say most senior residents shouldn’t vote.

The declare was made in a TV advert by WinSenate, a liberal tremendous PAC.

Hovde described in an April interview what he claimed have been voting irregularities involving Wisconsin nursing residence residents within the 2020 presidential election. A partisan investigation produced no proof of malicious intent behind a couple of circumstances of mentally incompetent folks voting. Hovde stated: “In the event you’re in a nursing residence, you solely have 5, six months’ life expectancy. Nearly no person in a nursing house is in a degree to vote.”

On single dad and mom: Sure, Hovde stated single parenthood results in poverty and drug dependancy.

Baldwin made that declare in a TV advert. Throughout his 2012 run for the U.S. Senate, Hovde lamented the variety of youngsters “born out of wedlock,” saying it’s “a direct path to a lifetime of poverty. There’s been quite a few research that present that it results in greater drug charges.”

Not 100% anti-choice: No, Hovde is just not “100% anti-choice” on abortion.

Hovde stated in 2012 he was completely against abortion rights, however has modified his place, contradicting a declare that Baldwin made in an interview.

Hovde stated in February he helps exceptions for rape, incest and the lifetime of the mom. In April, he stated that “ladies, early on in a being pregnant, ought to have a proper to choose.” And he stated that Wisconsin voters ought to determine when in a being pregnant abortion must be unlawful.

‘Deplorable’ mischaracterized: No, Hovde didn’t as soon as name most Individuals deplorable.

In a 2016 interview, Hovde stated it’s “deplorable” how poorly most Individuals are knowledgeable.

The Wisconsin Democratic Social gathering mischaracterized what Hovde stated.