After Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde referred to himself as "supposedly the jerk from California," Senator Tammy Baldwin—who is running for reelection to the U.S. Senate—used the clip of his remarks as the entirety of her latest campaign ad.
Although Hovde was born and raised in Wisconsin, Baldwin and her supporters have attempted to portray him as more Californian than Wisconsinite due to his ownership of a $7 million estate in Laguna Beach and his West Coast-based Sunwest Bank.
If elected, Hovde would rank among the wealthiest members of the Senate, according to his campaign finance report, which reveals assets valued between $195 million and over $564 million. In contrast, Baldwin reported assets ranging from $601,000 to nearly $1.3 million.
During a recent debate in Madison, hosted by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, Hovde referred to himself as "supposedly the jerk from California" before pulling out a utility bill from his Madison home. He then challenged Baldwin to produce 10 years' worth of utility bills to prove her place of residence.
That's all he needed to say for Baldwin's campaign to release a 5-second ad that used those words against him before concluding with:
"I'm Tammy Baldwin and I approve this message."
You can see the ad below.
It was shady as hell—and people loved every second of it.
Hovde, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has previously made headlines for sharing baseless claims and conspiracy theories alleging voter fraud.
Hovde has claimed drop boxes undermine "confidence in our voting system" even though they've been used in Wisconsin for years and became more prevalent in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this year, he was criticized after claiming "almost nobody" who is in a nursing home "is at a point" where they should be able to exercise their right to vote.
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