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Yes.

Republican Eric Hovde, a potential candidate to run in 2024 against U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said several times in 2012 that he wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

At the time, Hovde was running for the GOP nomination for the seat that Baldwin ultimately won.

In a campaign appearance, Hovde called repealing the health care law one of his top priorities.

In a video, Hovde called for repealing and replacing it.

In a blog post, Hovde wrote “Obamacare doesn’t just further bankrupt our nation, raise taxes and deny millions of Americans access to affordable insurance — it flies directly in the face of our Constitution.”

In an interview in 2017, when the U.S. Senate voted to debate repeal, Hovde said he would “absolutely, 100%” vote to launch debate on repeal.

Hovde did not respond to a request for comment on whether his position has changed.

This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Eric Hovde will challenge Democrat Tammy Baldwin for Senate, NRSC chair says

YouTube: Eric Hovde at Economic Endres Manufacturing, June 12, 2012

EricForSenate: “Protecting the American Dream” Plan: Repeal and Replace ObamaCare

PolitiFact: Newcomer and Wisconsin GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde says “Obamacare” denies millions “access to affordable insurance”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republicans considering run against Tammy Baldwin back effort to reverse Obamacare

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Tom Kertscher joined as a Wisconsin Watch fact checker in January 2023 and contributes to our collaboration with the The Gigafact Project to fight misinformation online. Kertscher is a former longtime newspaper reporter, including at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who has worked as a self-employed journalist since 2019. His gigs include contributing writer for Milwaukee Magazine and sports freelancer for The Associated Press.