Fact-checking Eric Hovde’s election claims

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Top Wisconsin Republican officials say they were under the impression Eric Hovde would concede in Wisconsin's U.S. Senate Election yesterday. They were then caught off-guard when Hovde posted a video to X espousing misleading claims about the sanctity of the election.

After posting the video, Hovde admitted he lost the election on the Milwaukee radio station WISN 1130.

"It's the most painful loss I've ever experienced," Hovde told Jessica McBride on the show.

Although eligible, Hovde has yet to call for a recount in the race he narrowly lost against Democrat incumbent Tammy Baldwin. He has also yet to concede.

"There's no good reason to undermine or attempt to undermine what happened in this election, just because you lost," the Chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission Ann Jacobs said.

Some precincts in Milwaukee had a "turnout of over 150% of registered voters and in some cases over 200%," Hovde said in the video, implying more people voted than were registered to do so.

"This is one of the greatest conspiracy theories, and people bring it up all the time, and it's just a matter of math," Jacobs said in response. "Wisconsin allows same-day voter registration on election day, so no matter how many registered voters there are the day before election day, there will be more than that on Election Day."

Hovde continues on to say he was "shocked by what unfolded on election night," describing the 108,000 ballots Milwaukee reported at 4:00 am. However, due to state law, ballots are not allowed to be opened or processed until 7 am on Election Day.

"We knew," Jacobs said. "Everyone in Wisconsin knew, going into this election that that was going to be completed, most likely in the very early morning hours of November 6," Jacobs said. "We talked about it. We did press about it."

When it comes to the State's elections, the Chair's message to Hovde is clear.

"You're going to have to figure out an answer to why President Trump won and you lost," Jacobs said, "other than the voters preferred the other candidate."

Hovde did not respond to multiple requests for an interview or comment.