To the editor,

Who is Eric Hovde? He's been referred to by the Los Angeles Times in a recent article as an “Orange County Banker,” yet he wants to convince Wisconsin voters he is one of us.

When Tommy Thompson beat Hovde in the 2012 Senate primary, Thompson pointed out that “Eric Hovde hasn’t lived here for 24 years and hasn’t voted here in 24 years, and now he wants to be in the U.S. Senate.” Thompson defeated Hovde in the Republican primary, only to be defeated, himself, by Tammy Baldwin in November of 2012.

Where’s Eric Hovde been since then? Not with us here in Wisconsin.

If you want to see how Hovde is currently dealing with his reputation as a carpetbagger, Google “Eric Hovde lake.” You’ll find a video of him breaking through the ice and standing in freezing cold water. What does this have to do with his ability to make sound decisions? Eric Hovde thinks Wisconsin voters will trust a guy standing in freezing water, on purpose, to deal with issues like immigration, health care, national security, and so many other critical matters.

Another Hovde ad shows three men in a bar, looking and talking like “regular guys.” They don't offer a single reason to elect him; instead, they discuss a series of Senate votes (with no context) intended to smear Tammy Baldwin. "Who are these undisclosed regular guys," you may ask. They're Chris Shumway, Eric Burns, and Douglas Geurts -- all senior executives at the commercial real estate development firm Hovde Properties.

When we have an experienced Senator in Tammy Baldwin who has the judgment, experience and solid legislative record already representing us, why choose a candidate who stands in a frozen lake, and passes off senior corporate executives as regular guys?

Tammy Tollefson 

Town of Clifton