MADISON, Wis. — Former President Donald Trump and Republicans across the swing state of Wisconsin are ramping up campaign efforts everywhere, including deep blue areas, to close the margins. 

“In a state this tight, we have to get votes in every single corner of the state,” Wisconsin Republican Party Executive Director Andrew Iverson told Fox News Digital.

“Closing the margins just a little bit makes a huge difference,” he said.

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This is paired with “running up the score in red counties.”

The reason such an approach is necessary, he said, is “this election will likely come down to 20,000-30,000 votes.”

In 2016, Trump defeated Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin by one point and less than 30,000 votes. When President Biden beat Trump in the state during the next election in 2020, it was similarly by about 20,000 votes. 

Now, Wisconsin is once again expected to be a deciding factor in the presidential election. 

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A woman dons a cheese hat with an American flag on it in Wisconsin. (Reuters)

“I would highlight that the Republican Party of Wisconsin and the Republican National Committee (RNC) – we have over 100 staff on the ground in Wisconsin, and we have 40 field offices,” Iverson explained.

“So we have a great presence across the entire state.”

According to him, the path to victory for Republicans relies on pulling “votes in every single corner of the state.”

He pointed to Trump’s decision to hold a rally in Dane County, home to the state capital of Madison, Wisconsin. “Republicans are going where we traditionally may not always go,” he said.  

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Hundreds came out to see Trump in Dane County. (Getty Images)

Iverson described Dane as “the most liberal county in the state of Wisconsin,” and said Trump’s trip there is “because he has to get votes in every single county and turn out Republicans in every part of the state.”

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, a Republican, told reporters earlier this month at a press conference in Milwaukee, “Donald Trump called me and asked me, how do I carry Wisconsin?”

The longest-serving Wisconsin governor, who was in office from 1987 to 2001, said he told Trump to follow his lead, “You got to go into southwestern Wisconsin.”

“I said to the president, you’ve got to come into Dane County. There hasn’t been a presidential candidate in Dane County since 1996, when Bob Dole ran for president. Republicans stay away. I said, we have to go.”

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Thompson revealed his advice to Trump on winning Wisconsin. (Reuters)

Trump’s visit to the blue stronghold that same day drew massive crowds, despite the county’s reputation. Thompson remarked that there was a “huge crowd all the way from the airport to the factory,” where the event was held.

This attention to heavily Democratic-voting areas of the state is a departure from previous Republicans’ strategy, as the former governor noted. 

Iverson told Fox News Digital that while the election cycle is quite polarized and many people are decided on their candidate, “there’s a rather decent segment of voters who are still undecided, and they’ll be making up their decision until the moment they vote.” 

“That’s why it’s so important that we are out there talking to as many voters as possible, because each conversation that we could have could be the last conversation they have with voters before they go and vote,” he said. 

Wisconsin was rated a “Toss up” by Fox News Power rankings, as of late last month. 

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CLEVELAND — Despite not being able to close out a series win in the ALDS in Game 4 at home on Thursday, the Detroit Tigers are feeling relaxed and confident a day before the decisive Game 5 against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday.

Manager A.J. Hinch said the team has stayed even-keeled throughout the run to make the playoffs and its first six games of the MLB postseason. He expects the same demeanor Saturday at 1:08 p.m. in front of a hostile road crowd with the season on the line.

“I’m so proud of our team and the way we are handling this — the loud music to the vibe that we are bringing tomorrow,” Hinch said. “It’s a great opportunity to be great. Like, everybody remembers these games and it’s a great opportunity. It’s not a burden, there’s no stress, no tension on our side. And we are going to enjoy every moment of this opportunity it’s where we are and where we want to be.”

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The Tigers did not have time to dwell on the back-and-forth 5-4 loss in Game 4 at Comerica Park Thursday, with an arrival in Cleveland on Friday morning. Left fielder Riley Greene said being able to compartmentalize and move on is crucial in October baseball, especially heading into a winner-take-all game.

“There is no room for getting down, it is win or go home at this point,” Greene said. “So, there’s no room for getting down on yourself and getting punched in the face. You always gotta punch right back.”

On Thursday night, first baseman Spencer Torkelson said the team didn’t want anything easy, and Game 5 starter Tarik Skubal agreed a day later. He said the team was embracing the challenge of having to clinch a second playoff series on the road.

“It’s why you play the game,” Skubal said. “For moments like this and for stages like this in this setting too. So I think our guys are going to respond well.”

The Tigers have spent most of the playoffs on the road, outside of the two-game homestand in Games 3 and 4 of the ALDS. They went 3-1 in their road games, sweeping Houston in the AL wild-card round and splitting Games 1 and 2 of the current series with Cleveland.

This will be the first decisive, winner-take-all postseason game for most of these Tigers players, but Hinch has experience in his time with the Houston Astros. He guaranteed something “unpredictable” would happen Saturday as both teams desperately try to advance.

“Everybody knows what’s at stake, there’s no secrets,” Hinch said. “It’s the best brand of baseball that you can get because everybody is all in in every moment, every pitch, every at-bat. Any one person can be the difference in the game.”

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Rubber match for familiar foes

Game 5 will be the 18th meeting between the Guardians and Tigers in 2024. The Guardians took the season series 7-6 and the two teams have been evenly matched in a competitive playoff series.

There are no secrets left for the Tigers or Guardians to spring on each other and will come down to who can make one more play on Saturday.

“We know what we are going to get, they know what they are going to get,” Greene said. “I mean, we’ve seen each other so many times that we know what’s gonna happen. It’s just a matter of, who gets that big hit?”

The Guardians and Tigers have both heavily utilized their bullpens (with Detroit taking it to extremes), turned to key pinch-hit at-bats leading to game-winning hits in Games 2 and 4 and tweaked starting lineups to try to contend with starting pitching.

“I don’t see why tomorrow would be any different,” Hinch said.

Skubal ready for big moment

The Tigers have Skubal going tomorrow and are confident in their left-handed ace to show up again in a big moment.

“He’s going to handle it like the pro that he is and attack the strike zone and attack the hitters,” Hinch said. “He loves competition. He’s into it as much as anybody that I’ve ever put on the mound. And nobody better to give the ball to on the mound in this game than Tarik.”

Skubal has pitched 13 scoreless innings in two starts this postseason, leading to Tigers’ wins in both games. He started Game 2 of the ALDS and threw seven scoreless innings, eventually setting up a dramatic ninth-inning win.

On top of his ability as a pitcher — Skubal won the AL’s pitching Triple Crown this season — Hinch said he lifts the team and instills confidence in the whole roster. It was evident in the Tigers clubhouse Thursday, as every player said they were confident in Skubal pulling out a Game 5 win.

“I know how important every game is to him and I know what it means to send him out to the mound for the confidence in our team,” Hinch said. “He’s going to handle it like a pro.”

Skubal said the respect he’s earned in the clubhouse hasn’t gone unnoticed and is emblematic of the roster’s selfless approach.

“It means a lot coming from them,” Skubal said. “And I think that’s just kind of who we are as a time. We got to battle every single day, we are young, we want it more than anybody so it’ll be a ton of fun.”

Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.

From postal service problems affecting mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania to the surprising battle for Mormon voters in Arizona, this episode offers vital insights into the factors that could tip the scales in key swing states. Plus, get an exclusive state-by-state breakdown of where the race stands in all seven battleground states.