Senate Candidate Eric Hovde Speaks at UW-Madison

The Republican nominee spoke about energy, economics, and the environment

U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde spoke at UW-Madison on Tuesday at an event cohosted by College Republicans and American Conservation Coalition Action.

Hovde was joined by U.S. Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD), who is running to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as Republican leader.

Hovde, an alumnus of UW-Madison, began his speech by talking about his time at the university and praising the policies of former President Ronald Reagan.

He discussed his career as a businessman and his charity, the Hovde Foundation, which rescues children from slavery and the sex trade across the world.

Hovde said that he was proud of his family life with his wife, daughters, and grandchildren, but also spoke about being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his twenties.

The candidate for Senate emphasized that he is “fourth-generation Wisconsinite,” saying that he has never been a resident of the state of California.

Hovde said that he is running for Senate because he loves the United States and feels there is no longer a strong emphasis on the greatness of America. He believes that the decline of patriotism is largely due to universities and public schools pushing anti-American rhetoric.

“There is no country that has done more good in the history of the world than America, period. There is no country that has spread freedom more than America,” Hovde said.

He called himself a “girl dad” who is concerned the economic security of the country, emphasizing that the national debt has reached unprecedented levels and the Biden-Harris administration is doing little to address it.

He argued that many great societies throughout history have failed because they lost their “moral compass” and then bankrupted themselves.

Hovde said that we could soon face an “economic collapse that would make the Great Depression look easy.”

The Republican nominee attacked those on the Left who advocated for defunding the police and argued that very few people supported that movement, but everyone is facing the consequences of it.

He also compared the crisis at the southern border to a “rotten onion” that “has many layers.” Hovde said that the influx of illegal immigrants is raising the cost of housing and healthcare.

Hovde argued that the fentanyl crisis is potentially the biggest problem in the country and that young people need to “demand action.”

During a brief Q&A session after Thune and Hovde delivered their speeches, Hovde answered questions about topics such as abortion.

GOP Badgers Chair Thomas Pyle said it was the largest College Republicans event at UW-Madison since 2019.

If you are interested in writing for The Madison Federalist, email madisonfederalist@gmail.com.