MADISON, Wis. — On Tuesday, Wisconsin voters rejected Republican-backed ballot measures that aimed to limit the governor’s authority to spend federal funds, such as disaster relief money. This outcome is a significant win for Democrats, who opposed the measures.
In the U.S. Senate race, Republican businessman Eric Hovde, endorsed by Donald Trump, won the primary easily. He will now face Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin in a race that could influence control of the Senate.
In other key races, Trump-backed Republican Tony Wied won a congressional primary in northeast Wisconsin. He will compete against Democrat Kristin Lyerly for the open 8th Congressional District seat. In western Wisconsin, Democrat Rebecca Cooke won her primary and will challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in the 3rd District.
Although Wied won, two of Trump’s legislative supporters, including one endorsed by him, lost to more moderate Republicans in their primaries.
The rejection of the ballot measures marks a major victory for liberals. Democrats, including Governor Tony Evers, argued that the amendments would have slowed down the distribution of funds during emergencies. Evers praised the outcome, stating it reflected support for his administration’s work.
Republicans had pushed for the amendments to increase oversight on the governor’s use of federal relief funds, particularly those related to COVID-19, without legislative approval.
In the Senate race, Hovde, who faced little opposition in the primary, has already spent over $13 million of his own money to challenge Baldwin, who ran unopposed in her primary.
In the 8th Congressional District, Wied, a former gas station chain owner, defeated two other candidates and will now run in his first campaign for office. Trump’s endorsement of Wied was seen as a test of his influence in this heavily Republican area.
In the 3rd Congressional District, Cooke, a former small business owner and nonprofit leader, won her primary. She will try to win back the district, which Democrats are targeting after it flipped to Republican control in 2022.
This election was the first under new legislative maps that are more favorable to Democrats. Legislative incumbents faced off in six primaries due to these new maps.
The winners of these primaries will compete in the November elections, where all Assembly seats and half of the Senate seats will be on the ballot.
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