What is Wisconsin U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde’s stance on abortion?

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde has made his current stance on abortion public: He supports exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, and also 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 Feb. 21, 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 its 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 do not rate the claims in the ad. Hovde’s position has changed since he first ran for U.S. Senate in 2012 and made those claims, and he is just now publicly stating his new position.

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

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 "The 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." Although 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 overturned.

Hovde did not elaborate on his stance when asked whether 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.

Ben Voelkel, a Hovde campaign spokesman, 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 Wisconsin Right to Life has supported him 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.

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."

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

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., 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?" 

However, neither path looks viable 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 be used, under current state law, only as a nonbinding vote — one that would measure public opinion but not change the law.

However, both processes don’t look possible at this point. Vos’ move would require Evers’ approval, which he wouldn’t give, and voters could not change the law the way Johnson suggested.

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 more than a decade ago. 

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