[upbeat music] - I'm Eric Hovde and I'm running for the U.S. Senate.
I'm a fourth-generation Wisconsinite, born and raised in Madison, attended East High, and graduated as a proud Badger in 1986.
I'm your classic entrepreneur, founding my first business in my 20s.
My main businesses today are Hovde Properties, a real estate development company here in Wisconsin, and Community Banking.
However, I've been involved in many businesses, which have given me a broad spectrum of experiences.
In my 20s, I was given the shocking news of having multiple sclerosis.
And while I struggled for many years, fortunately, my MS has been mostly stable for the last 20 years.
Because of that diagnosis, it propelled me to start the Hovde Foundation.
At first, it focused on medical research and MS, but I expanded its focus to rescue children who have been abandoned to the streets, abused, and used in the sex trade.
I founded the Hovde Homes, which provide shelter, care, education, and love to those children.
Today, there are 10 Hovde Homes around the world that are responsible for rescuing well over 5,000 children.
I was blessed to meet the love of my life, Sharon, and we have two daughters and three grandchildren.
So why would a guy with a pretty good life get into this ugly business called politics?
Well, it's simple.
I love my country.
I understand how blessed we are to live in this country called America, which has provided more civil liberties, prosperity, and freedom to its people than any country in human history.
Unfortunately, I'm deeply concerned about the direction our country has taken over the last 20 years.
First, our politics has become too divisive, and instead of trying to work together to solve the problems our country is facing, we live in our own echo chambers and demonize the other side.
We have lost our ability to cooperate and to put the broader interests of the American people first.
Second, I'm concerned about how Washington has become corrupt.
Far too many of our politicians today care only about getting reelected and raise money from special interest groups that they become beholden to.
I made the promise that I will not take corporate special interest money, which I have not, unlike my opponent, Senator Baldwin, who raises enormous amounts of money from Wall Street, Big Pharma, and Big Tech.
I'm deeply concerned that we are bankrupting our country.
In the last three and a half years, we've added more debt than our country's first 230-year history.
This reckless spending is the reason we've had 40-year highs in inflation that is crushing families and putting the American dream out of touch.
I'm also concerned about our domestic security.
The opening of our southern border has had devastating consequences and has helped fuel the fentanyl crisis.
In the last two years, we've lost over 220,000 Americans to this poison.
My opponent, Senator Baldwin, has been in Washington for 26 years.
She's a big part of the problem.
She voted for every single spending bill that caused record-high debt and inflation, and voted not to secure our southern border.
I believe it's time for change.
My hope is to bring my skill sets to fix many of the problems our country is facing today, like a lack of affordable housing and a health care system that is breaking.
I believe we need to return to the citizen legislator, somebody who served for a term or two, brings their skill sets from the real world to improve our country instead of having career politicians.
I'd be honored to have your vote.
And if you do elect me as your U.S. senator, I will put the people of Wisconsin's interests first and use my talents to get things done.
Thank you for your time.