Christian Smith
(NewsNation) – The closest state to win on election night may be Wisconsin, which has fallen to less than 1% of the vote in four of the last six presidential elections.
The campaigns of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump know this year will likely be no different and are responding accordingly.
Biden’s campaign, in conjunction with the Democratic Party and the state’s Democratic National Committee, has nearly 100 staffers and has already opened 46 offices across the state.
As the Trump campaign tries to catch up, a Republican official said that through a coordinated effort between the campaign, the Republican National Committee and the Wisconsin Republican Party, there are plans to open 30 offices in the state by June 1.
Biden-Harris Campaign
Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler acknowledges Wisconsin will be tough, saying the campaign will focus on two groups of persuadable voters.
“One of them is persuasion for people who might not vote for Biden but might vote for Trump or RFK [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]. And the other is the people who need to be persuaded to participate and who might otherwise be left out of the election,” he said.
He said the campaign is struggling to market Biden’s achievements — such as lowering the cost of insulin to $35 a month for those on Medicare and alleviating student debt — to Wisconsin voters in today’s fragmented media environment.
However, the main issues the campaign will focus on are jobs, infrastructure and abortion.
Last week, Biden visited Racine to announce a new $3.3 billion investment from Microsoft to build a new data center in the area. The project is expected to create 2,300 union construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs in Wisconsin.
Biden touted the investment compared to Trump’s failed project to bring Taiwanese electronics maker Foxconn to the state, which was supposed to bring thousands of jobs but never did.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion clinics in the state have stopped performing abortions. A new law now bans abortion after 20 weeks — later than other states that have six- or 12-week bans — and Wikler believes it continues to be important to voters.
“For many voters, personal freedom is actually the most sacred and central thing… having a real conversation with people about how the Trump team is looking for ways to restrict access to abortion and ban mifepristone, for example, which it can really change a voter situation,” Wikler said.
The Democratic-led campaign is headquartered in Milwaukee, but the other 45 field offices can be found throughout the state, in rural areas, small towns and cities. They are organizing volunteer trainings, hosting launches and volunteer recruitment events. The campaign says it has thousands of volunteers and hopes that number will continue to grow.
Wikler acknowledges that there are some structural advantages that Republicans have, including “a set of laws in states like Wisconsin that make it difficult for voters, voters of color and young voters to vote, which are people who often vote more Democratic than Republican.” , ” he said.
Wisconsin approved laws which shortened early voting windows, increased residency requirements and banned ballot drop-offs.
Additionally, the Republican National Convention will be held in Milwaukee this year, a recognition of Wisconsin’s importance to the race. Democrats held their convention in Milwaukee in 2020, but Biden did not attend in person due to pandemic concerns.
Despite these headwinds, Wikler said Biden’s 2024 campaign has one big advantage over his 2020 campaign: in-person campaigning.
In 2020, he said the Biden campaign took the COVID-19 pandemic seriously and therefore did not host in-person events or knock on doors. On the other hand, the Trump campaign knocked on 2 million doors. That disparity won’t happen this time, Wikler said.
The Biden-Harris campaign says it takes nothing for granted and “will continue to highlight President Biden’s work to reduce costs for families and the threat Trump poses to our economy, our freedoms and our democracy. Trump is way out of step with voters with his plans to ban abortion nationwide and kill high-paying jobs in Wisconsin,” according to Wisconsin Communications Director Brianna Johnson.
Trump campaign
Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming knows Wisconsin will be a close race and is working closely with the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign to pull out a victory.
Trump campaign senior strategist Chris LaCivita knows Wisconsin well. He successfully helped run Republican Senator Ron Johnson’s re-election campaign. Wikler said he hopes LaCivita leverages his knowledge of the state to Trump’s benefit.
The local team in Wisconsin is focused on election integrity and grassroots organizing, according to an RNC spokesperson.
Schimming says last year they recruited 5,500 poll workers, 1,000 of which were used in the recent spring elections. After Trump’s April rally in Green Bay, they filled about 1,000 volunteer shifts for election observers.
A Republican official says there is currently a plan to open 30 offices and that volunteers are being trained in election integrity and organization.
Schimming said the Wisconsin Republican Party “has already made more than 180,000 voter contacts for the 2024 cycle.”
In addition to knocking on doors, volunteers are also being trained to use social media. At the state Republican Party convention this week, Schimming plans to show “how easy and safe it is to volunteer, vote and make a difference in this election” on her phone.
In addition to growing their base, Schimming said they are focused on low-propensity voters, undecided voters and disenchanted Democrats. The message to these voters will focus on the economy, borders and national security.
Although inflation in the Midwest is lower than the rest of the country (2.8% versus 3.4%) and gas prices in Wisconsin are below the national average and lower by more than six cents compared to last year, Republicans believe Wisconsinites are still struggling.
Schimming said, “We intend to present voters with a clear choice between Trump and Biden’s records” when it comes to the economy, citing the rising cost of goods as proof of his economic argument. They believe Americans were better off under Trump on the three main issues they will focus on.
“By combining forces and operations, the Trump campaign and the RNC are implementing operations that are fueled by passionate volunteers who care about saving America and removing Joe Biden,” said Trump campaign senior advisor and RNC chief of staff, Chris LaCivita.
The campaign declined to provide further details about its strategy when asked.
When it comes to the end result, both parties are cautiously optimistic, citing enthusiasm and organization as the keys to their success.
