Democrat Party insiders are increasingly worried they could lose the Wisconsin Senate race – a seat they once considered safe.
The unexpected strength of Republican nominee Eric Hovde coupled with Donald Trump’s strong polling in the state has created a nightmare scenario for Wisconsin Democrats reminiscent of 2016, when Trump defeated Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton in the state.
“Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s (D-WI) lead in both public and internal polls has deteriorated, and Republicans are flooding the state with cash to pull off the upset,” Axios reports. “Multiple Democratic sources told Axios there are ‘alarm bells’ ringing in the state, arguing the race is much tighter than what public polling has shown.”
Despite public polling throughout the summer showing a slightly more comfortable lead for Baldwin, she leads by just two points in internal Democratic polling, a source familiar with her campaign told Axios.
Democrats’ internal polling matches a recent Trafalgar poll, which has Baldwin up only 2 points and Trump up 1 point in the state.
Baldwin did not attend Vice President Kamala Harris’s rally Thursday night in Wisconsin, a sign that Baldwin views her party’s standard bearer as a drag on her own race. Harris appeared in Ripon, Wisconsin, with Liz Cheney, the former Republican Congresswoman blown out in her own primary after turning against Trump.
More troubling for Baldwin, Republicans are on pace to outspend Democrats in the state every week until Election Day, with an infusion of around $20 million. Republicans have a nearly $3.5 million spending advantage on the airwaves over the next month, according to Axios.
Hovde himself is contributing over $2 million more to his campaign, and the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a super PAC closely tied with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), is adding $17 million.
SLF’s investment is part of a recently announced $67.5 ad buy from the group that includes $28 million in Pennsylvania and $22.5 million in Michigan. That spending sends a clear message that Republicans are seeing blood as they seek to retake the Senate majority.
Breitbart News reported:
With a favorable map, strong candidates, and Trump at the top of the ticket, Republicans are almost guaranteed to gain seats in the Senate and eliminate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) 51-49 majority, but they’re looking for more than a simple majority. Democrats are playing defense across the country, while the only Republicans with competitive races are Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL). Both Cruz and Scott are favored.
Sen. Joe Manchin’s (I-WV) retirement will hand West Virginia to Republicans. Republican Tim Sheehy is leading Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) in conservative Montana, and Republican Bernie Moreno is giving Republicans in increasingly red Ohio hope to finally oust Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
Other states, including Nevada and Maryland, are also in play for Republicans as Democrats scramble to play defense.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
