Polling Average
30%25%20%15%10%5%0%
19.5%
23.5%
Republican
Eric Hovde
Republican
Eric Hovde
Wisconsin Republican Governor nominee?
$18.6K
AUG 12, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleBusinessman
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyTrump-aligned Republican
GenderMale
LocationWisconsin
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BackgroundBusinessman
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison (graduated 1986)
Notable personal detailsEric Hovde is an American businessman and bank executive. He has served as chairman and CEO of Sunwest Bank and is also CEO and co-owner of Hovde Properties, a Madison, Wisconsin-based real estate development company. He previously co-founded Hovde Financial, Inc., an investment banking firm focused on community and regional banks.
SourcesShowHide
fec.govsunwestbank.comhovdeproperties.comhovdegroup.compbswisconsin.orgwislawjournal.comwikidata.orgen.wikipedia.orgaxios.comapnews.comapi.open.fec.govtheorg.comthecandidate.comdonorsecrets.comwuwm.comdocquery.fec.govwrn.compolitifact.comwisdems.orgwisconsinindependent.comisthmus.comwisconsinexaminer.comcbs58.comfoxnews.comontheissues.orgwashingtonpost.comwisconsinwatch.orgbadgerherald.comlcvvictoryfund.orgclimatepower.ustimesofindia.indiatimes.comthedailybeast.compolitico.comstatic.politico.comjustfacts.votesmart.orgvotesmart.orgcdn.ballotpedia.orgcommons.wikimedia.orgcreativecommons.orggovinfo.gov
Positions
LiberalConservative
Economy & Taxes
Supports major tax cuts including sharply lower corporate rates, elimination of the estate tax, and much lower individual income tax rates; favors simplifying the tax code and extending the 2017 federal tax cuts while cutting federal spending and reducing deficits.
Healthcare
The candidate opposes the Affordable Care Act and has called for repeal and replacement in favor of private-sector, market-based solutions. He has said he supports only limited ACA provisions (such as protections for people with preexisting conditions) while criticizing most other parts of the law. He has also criticized ACA provisions like allowing young adults to remain on parents’ plans and promotes reducing the federal role in health care policy.
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Immigration & Border
The candidate emphasizes stronger border enforcement, blames lax border security for crime and fentanyl flow, and supports deporting people who entered the country illegally while prioritizing those with criminal records. He also says the legal immigration system is broken and should be fixed to make legal entry easier with clearer timelines and requirements.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate supports restricting abortion with exceptions for rape, incest, and when the mother’s life is at risk, and has expressed support for a 12–14 week ban while saying voters should decide timing limits. He previously expressed stronger anti‑abortion views in 2012 but has since revised his public position.
Climate & Energy
Supports an "all-of-the-above" energy approach that includes fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables; criticizes large federal clean-energy investments like the Inflation Reduction Act and rejects rapid mandated transitions to 100% clean energy. Expresses skepticism about the urgency/severity of some climate claims while acknowledging some human impact on the environment.
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate opposes new restrictions on law-abiding citizens and favors stricter enforcement of existing gun laws while emphasizing mental-health interventions as a response to gun violence. He attributes some gun violence causes to mental health, video games, and social media and supports limits on youth access to social media.
News
AINews Summary
Last updatedJan 20, 2026
Recent news involving Wisconsin politics centers on the Wisconsin GOP mistakenly confusing Black Democratic candidates for governor in a social media post, drawing attention to accuracy and representation in political communications. Eric Hovde is not mentioned as being directly involved in the incident, but the episode reflects the broader political environment in Wisconsin in which he is campaigning.
fec.gov+39
Polls
Wisconsin Republican Governor nominee?
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 2026Total raisedCash on hand
$32.0M
$24.0M
$16.0M
$8.0M
$0
2024
2026
LatestYear
Total raised
Cash on hand
Total spent
Burn rate
Cycle 2024
$32.0M
$135.4K
$31.8M
$1.3M
Cycle 2026
—
$10.2K
$123.4K
$8.2K
Source: FEC
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Endorsements