WASHINGTON — There are less than three weeks to go in the high-stakes showdown between Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Republican businessman Eric Hovde. Polls show the race is tight, but new campaign finance reports show Baldwin is winning the battle for campaign cash.
“She’s just doing significantly better fundraising from human beings than he is,” said Sarah Bryner, the director of research and strategy for Open Secrets, a non-partisan group that tracks money in politics. “Hovde is certainly making up some of that difference with regards to the super PACs that are spending in the race. He actually has the edge on her in that context.”
Federal Election Commission filings show Baldwin and Hovde each raised about $11 million from late July through September. But only $4.2 million of Hovde’s haul came from donations. The rest, $7 million, was a loan he made to his campaign. Since entering the race, he’s now provided $20 million dollars to his candidacy…