Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate Hovde promises to donate salary to charity
Wisconsin Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde pledges in a new campaign ad to donate his salary to charity if elected
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde pledged in a new campaign ad Friday to donate his salary to charity if elected, a move that comes as Democrats try to paint the California bank owner and real estate mogul as an out-of-touch multimillionaire.
Hovde has suggested he will spend as much as $20 million of his own money in the race to defeat Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. The race is one of a few that could determine if Democrats maintain majority control of the Senate.
“I’ve worked hard, been fortunate," Hovde says in the ad. “I don’t need their special interest money, and I won’t take it.”
Hovde promises to give his entire $174,000 taxpayer-funded salary to a Wisconsin charity every year. His spokesperson, Ben Voelkel, said the exact charities are yet to be determined, but they would not include the Hovde Foundation, a charity run by Hovde's family.
