Eric Hovde Wikipedia: Age, Wife, Net Worth, Family & BIO of Wisconsin U.S. Senate Candidate
Eric Hovde is a successful businessman, financial expert, and philanthropist who has announced his intention to run for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin in the 2024 election. He will challenge the incumbent Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who has been in office since 2013. Hovde, who has never held public office before, believes that he can bring a fresh perspective and a pragmatic approach to the issues facing the country. He says that his campaign will focus on restoring the American dream, which he thinks has been eroded by the policies of the current administration.
Biography
Eric Hovde was born in 1964 (age: 60 years, as of 2023), in Madison, Wisconsin. He is the son of Don Hovde, a former real estate developer and U.S. ambassador to Norway, and Nancy Hovde, a former teacher and social worker. He has a brother, Steven Hovde, who is also a businessman and the chairman of Hovde Group, a financial services company.
Eric Hovde graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He then moved to Washington, D.C., where he started his own financial firm, Hovde Financial, in 1987. He specialized in providing investment banking and advisory services to community banks and thrifts. He later expanded his business to include asset management, private equity, and hedge funds. He also founded his Properties, a real estate development company that focuses on commercial and residential projects.
Quick Info
| Name | Eric Hovde |
| Born | 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin |
| Age | 60 (as of 2024) |
| Education | Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison1 |
| Occupation | CEO of Hovde Properties, Hovde Financial, Hovde Capital, H Bancorp, and Sunwest Bank |
| Net worth | Estimated at $100 million |
| Spouse | Sharon Hovde, a former television news anchor and reporter |
| Children | Four |
| Residence | Madison, Wisconsin and Laguna Beach, California |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Ethnicity | Norwegian-American |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Political views | Conservative, pro-business, anti-debt, anti-tax, anti-regulation, anti-abortion, anti-Obamacare |
| Previous political experience | Ran for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin in 2012, but lost the Republican primary to Tommy Thompson |
| Links | Twitter- @EricHovde Homepage- Newsunzip |
About His Spouse and Daughters
Eric Hovde is married to Sharon Hovde, a former model and actress. They have three daughters. They live in a lakefront mansion in Madison, Wisconsin, and also own a luxurious hillside estate in Laguna Beach, California, which they bought in 2018 for almost $7 million.
What are His achievements?
Eric has achieved remarkable success in his business ventures, earning him a spot on the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans in 2011. His net worth is estimated at least $67 million as of February 2, 2024. He owns over 6,496 units of ePlus Inc. stock worth over $282,072 and has sold over $70,487,480 worth of PLUS stock over the last 19 years.
He is also known for his philanthropic efforts, which he carries out through the Hovde Foundation, which he established in 1998. The foundation supports charitable organizations in the United States and around the world, with a focus on helping children and families in need. Some of the causes that the foundation supports include:
- Providing shelter, education, and health care to homeless and abused children in Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, and Peru.
- Building schools, clinics, and orphanages in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Haiti.
- Supporting research and treatment for brain cancer, which claimed the life of his father in 2016.
- Funding scholarships and grants for students and teachers in Wisconsin and other states.
Eric Hovde has received several awards and recognitions for his philanthropic work, such as:
- The 2010 Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
- The 2011 Humanitarian Award from the National Association of Community Bankers.
- The 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- The 2013 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Edgewood College.
Why is Eric Hovde running for the U.S. Senate?
Eric Hovde announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin on February 19, 2024, in a video message posted on his website and social media platforms. He said that he decided to run because he was concerned about the direction of the country and the challenges facing the American people. He said that he wanted to use his experience and skills to solve problems and create opportunities for everyone.
Eric said that his campaign would focus on restoring the American dream, which he defined as “the ability to achieve success through hard work, education, and personal responsibility.” He said that he would advocate for policies that would:
- Promote economic growth and job creation by reducing taxes, regulations, and government spending.
- Strengthen national security and defense by rebuilding the military, securing the borders, and confronting global threats.
- Reform health care and education by expanding choice, competition, and innovation.
- Protect the environment and natural resources by supporting clean energy and conservation.
- Uphold the Constitution and the rule of law by defending individual rights and freedoms.
Hovde said that he would run as a Republican, but he would not be beholden to any party or special interest. He said that he would be an independent voice and a pragmatic leader who would work with anyone who shared his vision and values. He said that he would not accept any donations from political action committees (PACs) or lobbyists, and that he would self-fund his campaign.
He is not the only Republican who has expressed interest in challenging Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is seeking her second term in 2024. Other potential candidates include former Gov. Scott Walker, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and state Sen. Leah Vukmir. However, Hovde is considered to be the frontrunner in the Republican primary, as he has the most name recognition, financial resources, and media exposure.
He has previously run for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin in 2012, when he came in second in the Republican primary, losing to former Gov. Tommy Thompson by 3 percentage points. Thompson went on to lose to Baldwin in the general election by 6 percentage points. Hovde spent about $5 million of his own money on his 2012 campaign, and he said that he learned a lot from that experience. He said that he was more prepared and confident this time, and that he believed that he had a better chance of winning.
I'm running for the U.S. Senate because I'm tired of constant division and finger pointing by politicians.
— Eric Hovde (@EricHovde) February 20, 2024
It's time to send a fighter to Washington who will work to find common ground and restore the American Dream.
Join me: https://t.co/K21p8GDA11 pic.twitter.com/IB0dwgSZe8
What are His Views on the issues?
Eric Hovde has not yet released a detailed platform or policy agenda for his 2024 Senate campaign, but he has given some indications of his views on some of the major issues facing the country. Based on his statements, interviews, and previous positions, here are some of his stances on the issues:
- Economy: Hovde supports lower taxes, less regulation, and smaller government. He opposes the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress in 2021, saying that it was wasteful and unnecessary. He favors a balanced budget amendment and a spending cap to reduce the national debt. He also supports free trade and opposes tariffs and protectionism.
- Health care: He opposes the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, and supports its repeal and replacement. He favors a market-based approach to health care that would increase competition, transparency, and consumer choice. He also supports allowing people to buy health insurance across state lines, expanding health savings accounts (HSAs), and reforming Medicare and Medicaid.
- Education: Hovde supports school choice and charter schools, saying that parents should have the right to decide where to send their children to school. He also supports merit pay for teachers, accountability for schools, and local control of education. He opposes the Common Core standards and federal intervention in education.
- Immigration: He supports securing the border and enforcing the immigration laws. He opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants and supports requiring them to return to their home countries and apply for legal entry. He also supports ending the visa lottery and chain migration, and implementing a merit-based system that would prioritize skilled workers and immigrants who can contribute to the economy and society.
- Environment: Hovde acknowledges that climate change is real and that humans have some impact on it, but he questions the extent and severity of that impact. He opposes the Paris climate agreement and the Green New Deal, saying that they would hurt the economy and cost jobs. He supports developing domestic energy sources, including fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables. He also supports conservation and environmental protection, but not at the expense of economic growth and development.
- Foreign policy: He supports a strong and smart foreign policy that would protect America’s interests and allies, and confront America’s enemies and adversaries. He supports maintaining a robust military and defense budget, and investing in new technologies and capabilities. He also supports strengthening the NATO alliance and other partnerships, and promoting democracy and human rights around the world. He opposes the Iran nuclear deal and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, saying that they would endanger America’s security and stability in the region.
