in Wisconsin The US Senate race was hotly contestedRepublican Eric Hovde focused much of his closing message on: attack finance career Photo of Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin’s girlfriend highlighting her homosexual relationships.

In a series of television ads late in the election, Hovde’s campaign repeatedly mentioned Maria Brisbane, referring to her as Baldwin’s “life partner” or “girlfriend.” Baldwin openly refers to Brisbane as his girlfriend.

One such an advertisementIt follows a woman from Hovde’s campaign and a joint fundraising committee who describes herself as a Wisconsin resident as criticizing Baldwin for being “in bed with Wall Street.”

“He sleeps in his girlfriend’s million-dollar apartment in New York City, while families in Wisconsin struggle with hyperinflation and aid to illegal immigrants.”

“While Tammy and her girlfriend live large lives, Wisconsin families are footing the bill,” the woman adds.

Another Hovde campaign ad It features a narrator talking about Baldwin’s relationship with Brisbane.

“This is Senator Tammy Baldwin,” the narrator says. “This is her significant other, Maria Brisbane, a Wall Street executive who makes millions advising the super-rich on how to make money in the industries Tammy regulates.”

“Tammy doesn’t go home to Wisconsin most weekends. “He would rather be in New York, in Maria’s $7 million apartment,” the narrator adds.

Overall, seven of 34 Republican TV ads aired last month in the Wisconsin race that will help determine the balance of power in the Senate referenced Baldwin’s girlfriend, according to tracking firm AdImpact. The number of airings of these seven ads represents more than a quarter of all anti-Baldwin Republican TV ads last month.

Baldwin became the first openly gay woman elected to Congress in 1998 and the first openly gay candidate elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012. Brisbane is a private wealth advisor at a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley. Baldwin and Brisbane have been dating since 2018.

Baldwin, now running for a third Senate term, said the attacks were designed to distract from his own record.

“This kind of thing is usually considered out of bounds in politics, right? “To talk about people’s personal lives and their family members,” Baldwin said on a recent MSNBC show.Andrea Mitchell Reports.”

“Eric Hovde is desperately trying to distract us from his real vulnerabilities and conflicts of interest,” he added.

Hovde, a multimillionaire businessman and bank owner, also repeated some of the attacks in his ads.

their discussed last monthLone of the loop, Hovde repeatedly criticized Baldwin’s relationship with Brisbane, saying at one point: “I’m the one against Big Pharma. The person you are auditing is your Wall Street partner who invests in Big Pharma.”

At another point in the Oct. 18 debate, Baldwin responded by saying, “Eric Hovde should stay out of my personal life — and I think I say on behalf of most Wisconsin women that he should stay out of all of our personal lives.”

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke from the Ellipse near the White House on Tuesday.

In response to questions about the strategy to highlight Baldwin’s relationship, Hovde campaign spokesman Zach Bannon said: “We agree with the 2009 version of Tammy Baldwin, and any effort to distract from the realities of this conflict of interest is the people of Wisconsin who deserve transparency.”

Bannon’s statement refers to a recent incident. CNN report Following Baldwin’s comments in 2009 that legal domestic partners of gay and lesbian officeholders should comply with the same requirements as heterosexual married couples regarding annual financial disclosures.

“All members of Congress submit annual financial disclosures. Married members are entitled to their spouse’s income, investments, gifts, debts, etc. He has to file very important information about himself. Of course, the public interest would require that these obligations also apply to partners of gay and lesbian office holders,” Baldwin said at a 2009 congressional hearing.

Baldwin and Brisbane are not married and are not legally living together. Additionally, Baldwin does not sit on any committees that regulate Wall Street matters (for example, the Senate Banking or Finance committees).

Baldwin campaign officials and LGBTQ rights organizations said Hovde’s attack lines amounted to a cynical ploy by Republicans.

“You. GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said Baldwin’s sexual orientation was not on the ballot and that ads like this once again reveal her opponent’s hostility towards LGBTQ people. “You. “Baldwin has never hidden who he is from his constituents and has a proven record of advancing equality and prosperity for everyone in Wisconsin and people across the country.”

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ rights group, added in a statement: “Wisconsinites want a proven leader with a track record of solving problems. That leader is Tammy Baldwin.

“Eric Hovde has done nothing but sow hatred and division, including embarrassing dog whistles and attacks on Senator Baldwin,” Robinson added.

Human Rights Campaign approved Baldwin in the race. GLAAD has not made an official confirmation, but published voter resource guides this emphasis each The candidate’s background on LGBTQ issues.

“Eric Hovde poured his fortune into one of the darkest, most divisive campaigns in Wisconsin history,” Baldwin campaign spokesman Andrew Mamo said in a statement.

“Wisconsinites are going to reject Hovde because they know Tammy Baldwin is coming in and listening and working with everyone to get the job done,” he added.

Hovde and her allies also ran several ads targeting Baldwin for her transgender issues, mirroring ads aired nationwide by the former President. Donald Trump and on behalf of other Republican Senate candidates.

Hovde’s ads include: Falsely accuses Baldwin “Funding a clinic offering transgender therapy for minors without parental consent” and another accusing him Helping fund a nonprofit that “pushes an aggressive LGBTQ agenda against children without parental involvement.”

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed trick-or-treaters to the White House for a Halloween-themed event on Wednesday.

The ads come amid a bitter battleground-state race that has heated up in the closing weeks and featured many personal attacks.

Baldwin and outside Democratic groups drew attention Hovde largely lived California In recent years. Hovde also frequently attacked Baldwin for being an out-of-touch career politician.

Bridget Bowman contributed.

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