Republican Eric Hovde refuses to concede Wisconsin Senate race, casts doubt on the results

Republican Eric Hovde refused Tuesday to concede defeat in the Wisconsin Senate race, casting doubt on the results despite a lack of evidence of any wrongdoing in last week's election.

In a 4½-minute video on X, Hovde said he was considering whether to seek a recount in the battleground state contest, which NBC News and other outlets projected last week that Sen. Tammy Baldwin had won. She leads by less than 30,000 votes, 49.4% to 48.5%, with 99% of the vote counted.

Wisconsin allows candidates to request recounts, but they are required to cover the expenses if the margin of victory is larger than 0.25 percentage points.

But Hovde also suggested that a recount would not fully address the "voting inconsistencies" he claimed occurred.

“While I’m deeply concerned, asking for a recount is a serious decision that requires careful consideration," he said. "Further, there are meaningful limits on a recount, because they don’t look at the integrity of the ballot."

Hovde pointed to the absentee ballots Milwaukee reported early Wednesday, which went heavily for Baldwin, as an "improbable" outcome, arguing the count did not match the in-person voting pattern in the city.

Democrats have traditionally been more likely to vote absentee than Republicans, and Milwaukee is one of the main Democratic bastions in Wisconsin. In addition, election workers are not allowed to begin processing absentee ballots until Election Day, which often leads to those votes’ getting reported later.

Hovde also claimed that voter turnout in certain precincts in Milwaukee was higher than the numbers of registered voters on file. That does not account for voters who registered on Election Day, which is allowed in Wisconsin.

In a statement, the Milwaukee County Election Commission said it "unequivocally refutes Eric Hovde’s baseless claims regarding the integrity of our election process."

"Every aspect of the MEC’s operations was conducted with transparency and in strict adherence to established laws and procedures," the statement read.

Shortly after Hovde posted his video, Baldwin criticized him on X.

"Eric Hovde is spreading lies from the darkest corners of the internet to undercut our free and fair elections," she said. "Wisconsin voters made their voices heard. It’s time for Hovde to stop this disgusting attack on our democracy and concede."

Asked by NBC News the day before Election Day whether he would accept the results of his race, Hovde responded, “Of course.”

President-elect Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com