An ad says Hovde was 'totally opposed' to abortion. But he now supports exceptions for rape, incest

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde has made his new stance on abortion public: He supports exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, and thinks voters should decide the issue.

Hovde made his position clear when asked by PolitiFact Wisconsin to respond to a radio ad that targeted his stances on abortion, based on comments he made while running for the same office in 2012.

Here’s the main claims on Hovde’s abortion stance in the ad, which was launched by A Better Wisconsin Together, a progressive research and communications group:

“Hovde said, ‘I am totally opposed to abortion’ and ‘I’m 100% pro-life.’ And he supported overturning Roe v. Wade,” says the ad, which began airing on February 21, 2024, a day after Hovde officially entered the race.

The ad also implies that Hovde opposes exceptions for rape and incest, because he’s been backed by Wisconsin Right to Life, a group that tracks their endorsed candidates’ stances on rape and incest.

“With views like that, Hovde could be a crucial vote in favor of a national abortion ban,” the ad says.

We ultimately did not rate the claims in the ad. Hovde’s position has changed since he first ran for U.S. Senate in 2012, and he is just now publicly stating his current view on abortion.

But let’s dig into the claims for the purposes of this PolitiFact as this race gets started.

Claims in ad based on statements Hovde made while campaigning in 2012

When asked for backup, A Better Wisconsin Together communications director Lucy Ripp sent a memo that details the sources behind each claim in the ad.

Let’s tackle the claims one by one.

First, the ad claims Hovde said he is “totally opposed to abortion.” That comment comes from Hovde’s appearance on WTAQ's Jerry Bader Show in 2012, when he was running in the Republican primary for Senate.

Hovde was asked to address concerns from voters that his charity donated to embryonic stem cell research.

“I am a strong believer in pro-life. I am totally opposed to abortion,” Hovde told the conservative radio show.

He defended donating to research into multiple sclerosis, which he was diagnosed with in 1991, but disputed his money went to embryonic stem cell research.

So the ad is correct in the first aspect: Hovde — albeit in 2012 — said he was “totally opposed to abortion.”

A Better Wisconsin Together says the second claim, that Hovde said he is “100% pro-life,” came from the same radio interview.

Hovde didn’t say “100%” exactly, rather that he is a “strong believer.” While that caveat is important, the sentiment is similar enough.

Now for the third claim: Did Hovde say he supports overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that guaranteed abortion rights?

That claim is based on a WisconsinEye interview with Hovde. That was also in 2012, a full decade before Roe v. Wade was, in fact, overturned.

Hovde did not elaborate on his stance when asked if he thought Roe v. Wade should be overturned, beyond saying “yes” and repeating his answer when asked a second time.

So, all of those things, apart from one of the wordings, are things that Hovde did say. But a lot has changed since 2012.

Some Wisconsin Republicans have softened their stance on abortion after Democrats mobilized voters on the issue in 2022.

Let’s check in with Hovde’s campaign to set the record straight on his stance.

Hovde’s campaign says he supports exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother

Ben Voelkel, a spokesman for Hovde’s campaign, sent a statement from Hovde that shows his position has changed since 2012.

Hovde said: “I believe we need exceptions for cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.”

The ad does not explicitly state that Hovde himself opposes exceptions for rape and incest, but suggests he would because he has been supported by Wisconsin Right to Life in the past.

Wisconsin Right to Life did endorse Eric Hovde in 2012, as well as Tommy Thompson, who eventually won the Republican primary.

“Eric Hovde has indicated strong support for federal right-to-life issues should he be elected,” the anti-abortion group said.

The group said in 2023 that it opposes exceptions for rape and incest, but does support emergency medical exceptions.

Hovde also supports posing the issue to Wisconsin voters

Here’s the other part of Hovde’s stance. He says: “It is clear after the Dobbs decision that the people of Wisconsin are the ones who should decide this issue.”

"I believe the voters of Wisconsin can come together and find a common sense and compassionate solution that respects life while also safeguarding individual rights," Hovde said.

Assembly Republicans voted last month to pass a bill asking voters whether Wisconsin should ban abortions after 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson also pushed a referendum that would ask Wisconsin voters: “At what point does society have the responsibility to protect the life of an unborn child?"

Hovde didn't immediately make clear if he supports either of those proposals. Neither path looks possible at this point.

The first proposal deploys a seldom-used process by which a law passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor can be enacted only with voters' approval, and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers opposes the effort.

Johnson's suggestion could only be used, under current state law, as a nonbinding vote — one that would measure public opinion but not change the law.

Bottom line: Hovde was “totally opposed” to abortion in 2012, but not in 2024

A Better Wisconsin Together ad that targets Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde’s stances on abortion says:

“Hovde said, ‘I am totally opposed to abortion’ and ‘I’m 100% pro-life.’ And he supported overturning Roe v. Wade,” the ad reads.

Those three things, except for one slightly-off wording, are true. But Hovde said those things over a decade ago.

Now, he says he supports exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. He also favors posing the issue to voters through a referendum.

Sources

A Better Wisconsin Together, New Radio Ad Exposes Eric Hovde’s Dangerous Opposition to Abortion Rights, Feb. 21, 2024.

Wisconsin Right to Life, Wisconsin Right to Life Political Action Committee (PAC) Endorsed Candidates, 2023.

Email exchange, Lucy Ripp, communications director for A Better Wisconsin Together’s, Feb. 21, 2024.

YouTube, Eric Hovde on the Jerry Bader Show 4/12/12, Aug. 9, 2023.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Who is Eric Hovde? What to know about Republican candidate challenging Tammy Baldwin, Feb. 21, 2024.

WisconsinEye, Campaign 2012: U.S. Senate Candidate Eric Hovde, March 19, 2012.

PolitiFact Wisconsin, Van Orden half-flips opinion on abortion ban, June 1, 2023.

Email exchange, Ben Voelkel, campaign spokesman for Eric Hovde, Feb. 21, 2024.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Assembly passes referendum on 14-week abortion ban that faces certain Evers veto, Jan. 5, 2024.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Ron Johnson releases sample abortion referendum, pushes back on Evers' special session call to make it possible, Oct. 4, 2022.

Wisconsin Right to Life, WRTL PAC Endorses Fitzgerald, Hovde, Neumann and Thompson for US Senate, June 21, 2012.

Wisconsin Examiner, How anti-abortion groups are working to shape Wisconsin law, March 12, 2023.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: US Senate candidate Eric Hovde favors voters deciding abortion