GOP businessman Eric Hovde said another run for public office “isn’t on my radar screen right now,” but he would think about running for U.S. Senate in 2028 if U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson decides against seeking a fourth term.
Hovde, who lost to Dem U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in 2024, told WisPolitics in a phone interview yesterday that he believes the never-ending political cycle is “insane” and he won’t think about another run over the next six or nine months.
Once Johnson, R-Oshkosh, makes a decision about whether to run again, Hovde would then put some thought into it.
Johnson didn’t formally launch his last reelection bid until January 2022, 11 months before the election.
“It really comes down to you as a person. Is that what you want to do? Do you want to give up a year of your life?” Hovde said. “Once you’ve done it, you know how committed you have to be and the effort you have to put in.”
Many had viewed U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, as a likely candidate to run for U.S. Senate in 2028 if Johnson doesn’t seek reelection. But his 4-point loss last week to Dem Mitchell Berman has put that in question.
Hovde also ran for U.S. Senate in 2012, placing second in the primary to former Gov. Tommy Thompson.
Hovde said he wasn’t surprised by last week’s results other than the depth of the GOP losses.
“Am I surprised at the depth of what happened? Yes, I am surprised by the depth of losing Senate seats in places like Kansas and South Carolina,” Hovde said. “But that’s just on Trump.”