Wisconsin
All eyes on battleground state Wisconsin as Republicans gather for national convention | CBC News
On Saturday evening in downtown Milwaukee, people were making their way to dinner reservations and drinks with friends near Water Street, the city’s nightlife district.
But some of them had the U.S. election on their minds, as news of gunfire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania spread and visitors descended on Wisconsin’s largest city for the Republican National Convention, which opens Monday.
“We were actually walking down and talking about how we’re really scared about these elections,” said 26-year-old Milwaukee resident Laura Hernandez.
Hernandez, who listed abortion rights, immigration and Israel’s war in Gaza as her top voting priorities, said she was first eligible to vote for president in 2016 — but she’s never liked her options.
“It’s been so exhausting. Every single year that I’ve been able to vote, I have to choose between two evils. And I feel like the same thing is happening this year, but even to a higher degree,” she said.
“So at the moment I’m indecisive. I’m not sure what I’m going to lean towards, come November.”
In the wake of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump, Republican strategist Chip Felkel says it’s important the Trump campaign takes a measured and restrained tone as the Republican National Convention gets underway in Milwaukee. ‘In a weird, ugly way, this is of great benefit to the mobilization of Trump supporters,’ he says.
Wisconsin is one of the most critical battleground states in this year’s U.S. election. For three decades, the Midwestern state was a brick in the “Blue Wall” — a term for states that reliably went to the Democrats from the ’90s into the early 2010s.
That streak ended dramatically in 2016 when Donald Trump notched a shock win, helping him secure a marginal victory over Hillary Clinton. While President Joe Biden reclaimed Wisconsin during the 2020 election, his win was also remarkably slim: He won by less than one percentage point.
In fact, the last six presidential elections have each been decided by a difference of some 25,000 votes in Wisconsin, which has 10 votes in the electoral college.
“There’s no reason to expect the state is moving away from that swing-state status and from a very close electorate,” said Charles Franklin, a political pollster and director of the Marquette Law School Poll.
With the next election looming, each campaign is placing its bets on Wisconsin, where small voting blocs and swing counties have the potential to sway what is now considered a “purple” state — one that could determine who will sit in the Oval Office come January 2025.
Why the stakes are high
Four years after the Democrats staged their convention in the city — albeit with in-person events curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic — Milwaukee will host Republican party officials and delegates at its Fiserv Forum this week.
As the GOP works to wrestle the state back from the Democrats, the RNC’s setting is no coincidence, said Jonathan Kasparek, a political history professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“It is very much to appeal to those sort of on-the-fence, independent voters that are perhaps reluctantly Republican,” he said. “It’s really [about] trying to court those votes.”
Many of Wisconsin’s 72 counties have flipped allegiances during the past few presidential elections, ultimately changing the state’s political balance.
More than a third of them (23 in total) voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 — and they all flipped to Trump in 2016. Biden then won back two of those counties in 2020, securing the state for the Democrats.
In Milwaukee, voters who spoke with CBC News seemed to be reluctant about both of their options for this year. Josh Fager said that both Biden and Trump leave something to be desired.
“We need better candidates on both sides,” he told CBC News.
The urban, suburban and rural divide
Wisconsin has emerged as a purple state largely because “the dynamics set up between where the Republicans have strength and where the Democrats have strength [has] been shifting a lot in recent years,” said Kasparek.
Historically, Democrats have fared well in Wisconsin’s biggest cities, Madison and Milwaukee, while Republicans have done well in rural areas and suburban counties.
But some of the latter are becoming “less solidly Republican,” he said.
Trump had strong victories among voters in rural counties in 2016 and 2020. However, in some suburban counties like Ozaukee, Republican voters turned out in softer numbers during those two elections than they had in previous years.
Meanwhile, low voter turnout in Milwaukee and Madison can have wider implications at the state level, according to Franklin, the pollster.
Some attribute Clinton’s 2016 loss in Wisconsin to her not having visited the state at all in the run-up to the election. Biden has visited Wisconsin five times since January to shore up support, paying particular attention to urban areas.
As Franklin put it: “Who’s going to win is not a question at all in Milwaukee. But will it provide the extra votes that help tip the state to the Democrats?”
Brenda Hart-Richardson, a 74-year-old lifelong Milwaukee resident, said she’s sticking with Biden all the way.
She said she was embarrassed by Democrats who have called for the president to step aside due to concerns over his health.
“I would never go on a camping trip with them,” she said. “If I twisted my ankle, they’d leave me behind.”
The fight for Black voters
Nationally, Black voters still favour Biden to Trump overall, according to an Ipsos poll from June. But fewer Black voters say they’re absolutely certain that they’ll vote in this election, which could spell trouble for the Democrats among one of their key bases.
Biden has been losing steam with young Black voters in particular, according to a separate Ipsos poll from May.
While 2020 census data shows that more than 80 per cent of Wisconsin’s population is white, Biden has sought to reach Black voters in a state where voting-rights advocates have long said that people of colour encounter more hurdles at the ballot box.
Madison resident Isaac Montgomery, who was visiting Milwaukee with friends on Saturday evening, told CBC News that he didn’t vote in the last election and won’t vote in this one.
That’s because neither candidate is a good option for Black, Hispanic and Indigenous people, he said.
“People are always trying to use us as a trope. But they never really, at the end, do anything for us, so we’re always stuck in the same situation,” Montgomery said.
“Democratic, Republican, it doesn’t matter. Left, right, conservative, liberal. They’re all the same to me.”
Why turnout could be the deciding factor
Small voting blocs can make an outsized difference in a state with narrow margins, said Joe Paul, the executive director of Black Men Vote, a non-partisan organization that mobilizes Black male voters.
He pointed to the Black female vote in 2020, which helped tip the election in Biden’s favour.
“You saw them literally tip the scale. We’re talking about precincts — like, the last election came down to precincts,” Paul told CBC News. “This election will absolutely come down to precincts.”
Kasparek, the professor, noted that groups hit hardest by the economic woes of the last several years “might be discontented enough” to switch from Biden to Trump in the hopes that the economy will be stronger under the latter.
While the U.S. economy has recovered and unemployment is low, Americans have been worn down by years of high inflation. Most voters say the economy is their No. 1 issue, according to a national survey conducted by the Marquette Law School Poll in May.
Other priorities diverge along party lines; Republican voters list immigration as a high priority while Democrat voters emphasize abortion as a key issue, according to the poll.
The poll surveyed 1,033 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of +/-4.3 percentage points.
“I think the most important factor is actually going to be turnout,” said Kasparek. “Whichever party does a better job of getting its voters to the polls is going to prevail.”
The Wisconsin Badgers had an impressive month of June, hitting the recruiting trail hard to land a majority of their 2025 recruits throughout their official visit weekends.
While the buzz has simmered recently with most of the targets now off the board, either to Wisconsin or other schools, there are still a few recruits out there that the Badgers are vying for to add to their 2025 class.
On the basketball side, the Badgers recently offered 2025 four-star forward Amari Allen, who is a native of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, but plays at powerhouse IMG Academy.
He joins a group of targets that Wisconsin is pursuing in the 2025 class to add to commits Zach Kinziger and Will Garlock.
Every week, I’m looking to do an AMA session, where everyone can ask whatever questions they have about the Badgers in the comments, and I’ll answer each and every one over the next 24 hours.
Drop your Badgers-related questions in the comments down below!
Scott Walker is the former 45th governor of Wisconsin, a position he held from 2011 to 2019. During his tenure, he evoked massive protests over his Act 10 legislation, survived a recall election and had a short-lived run for President.
The Republican politician is one of Wisconsin’s delegates set to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.
Here’s what to know.
When did Scott Walker hold office?
Walker became governor in 2011 when he defeated Democratic nominee Tom Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee. Opposition over his Act 12 law prompted a recall campaign that drew enough signatures to force Walker to run in a recall election in 2012. He won, making him the first of two incumbent governors in the history of the United States to survive a recall election. He easily won a second term in 2014 over his Democratic opponent, Madison School Board member Mary Burke.
In 2019, Walker lost his bid for a third term to former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, a Democrat.
Before serving as governor, Walker got his start in politics in 1993, when he was elected to the state assembly with a platform that focused on fiscal conservatism. He was elected County Executive of Milwaukee County in 2002, a position he held until 2010. He first entered the governor’s race in 2006 but withdrew due to a lack of funding; he was successful four years later.
What is Scott Walker’s background?
Walker, 56, was born in 1967 in Colorado Springs. His mother Patricia was a bookkeeper and his father Llewellyn Scott was a Baptist minister. He is one of two sons. The family lived in cities including Plainfield, Iowa, and Delavan, Wisconsin.
Walker attended Marquette University for four years, but left in 1990 after he was 34 credits short of completing his undergraduate degree. He maintained ties with the University and attended his 20-year reunion in 2010.
Before entering politics, Walker worked for the American Red Cross. He married his wife Tonette Tarantino in 1993. They have two children, who attended Marquette and the University of Wisconsin.
What is Scott Walker’s legacy in Wisconsin?
Walker cemented his role as one of Wisconsin’s most influential governors, notably through his support for Act 10, which ended collective bargaining for most public sector workers and required unions to hold annual elections to maintain their ability to negotiate for raises.
Thousands of protestors flooded the Wisconsin state Capitol in opposition to the Budget Repair Bill and Senate Democrats left the state to thwart the bill’s passing. The resulting legislation diminished the influence of unions and reshaped Wisconsin’s political climate, thrusting Walker and Wisconsin into national spotlight in an unprecedented way.
Two former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters, Jason Stein and Patrick Marley, chronicled the events in their book “More than They Bargained For: Scott Walker, Unions, and the Fight for Wisconsin.”
A Dane County judge on July 3 ruled provisions of Act 10 law are unconstitutional and denied a motion to dismiss a case challenging the law.
In 2011, Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature also notably passed partisan gerrymanders drawn up in secret. The maps ensured a Republican legislative dominance that maintained for years until Evers signed into law new maps in February.
During his tenure, Walker focused on conservative fiscal policies. He enacted large tax cuts, expanded private school vouchers and froze tuition at University of Wisconsin campuses.
Did Scott Walker run for president?
Yes. After heavy speculation and anticipation, Walker launched a campaign in 2015 and was considered one of the frontrunners for the nomination following strong performances and polling at the start of the race. But Trump’s unprecedented rise in popularity, Walker’s uninspiring performance in the first Republican debate and his shifting stances on issues resulted in declining poll support. He withdrew from the race after just two months.
What are Scott Walker’s views on Trump?
Walker has been supportive of the former President since dropping out of the race in 2015.
He spoke at Trump’s June 18 rally in Racine, where the former Gov. criticized Joe Biden on rising prices, border security and public safety.
“We can’t afford four more years of Joe Biden. We need President Donald Trump to make Wisconsin and America affordable,” Walker said during the event. He called on supporters to knock on doors, make phone calls, join their local parties to garner support for Trump beyond rallies.
“We win Wisconsin, we win America,” Walker said.
In May of last year, Walker said it would be a mistake for Trump to “blow off Wisconsin” and decline to participate in the first Republican presidential debate in August, noting that “Hillary Clinton made that mistake in 2016 and it cost her the election.”
Trump did skip the debate in the end, opting to partake in an online interview with Tucker Carlson instead.
What is Scott Walker doing now?
Walker has served as president of the Young America’s Foundation since 2019, when he accepted a full-time position running the northern-Virginia based national conservative youth organization.
He hosted a political podcast “Freedom Fighters with Governor Scott Walker” from 2019 until 2022.
In 2023 he ruled out challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, telling the Journal Sentinel he would be “bored as a senator.” Walker hasn’t ruled out a future run for president.
What role will Scott Walker play during the RNC?
Delegates will formally nominate Trump as the party’s candidate to take on Biden at the RNC from July 15-18. Walker is one of 41 Wisconsin’s delegates; there are 2,429 total delegates from across the country. Wisconsin’s delegation also includes former Gov. Tommy Thompson and 2022 Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels. Walker and Thompson are also serving as honorary co-chairs of the Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee.
MILWAUKEE — Former President Donald Trump is safe after an assassination attempt at a rally held Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. It came just days before Trump is scheduled to accept the GOP nomination at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee.
A bullet pierced the upper part of Trump’s right ear. A former fire chief who was attending the rally with his family was killed and others were badly wounded.
The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old male, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Crooks was fatally shot by Secret Service agents at the scene.
The shooting has turned the spotlight to political violence in the U.S. This was the most serious attempt to kill a president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.
(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
When the assassination attempt happened, many residents in Milwaukee, and people from around the state, were on the convention grounds to catch a glimpse of the RNC before it commences on Monday, July 15.
Jeanine Sweeney was outside the Fiserv Forum when she first got word Trump had been shot.
Jeanine Sweeney was outside the Fiserv Forum when she first got word Trump had been shot. (Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
“And my heart kind of stopped. It’s not the United States; it’s not the way it should be. We haven’t seen something like this since Ronald Reagan. It’s horrifying and it’s not the way it should be in this country,” said Sweeney.
Michael Frederick said he had traveled from Brookfield to watch the final RNC setup. That’s when he heard the news.
Michael Frederick said he had traveled from Brookfield to watch the final RNC setup. That’s when he heard the news. (Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
“I’m not surprised because… There is a lot of tension in the air and things are kind of crazy right now and there’s a lot of extremism,” said Frederick.
Jerome Grzeca is a Milwaukee resident who was downtown checking out the RNC setup with his family. He said drastic change is needed.
Jerome Grzeca is a Milwaukee resident who was downtown checking out the RNC setup with his family. He said drastic change is needed. (Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
“There’s just no room for violence in the political system, regardless of disagreement or where we may stand. We can never resort to that kind of thing, and I’m saddened by that,” said Grzeca.
Francisco Navarro said he is in town from Illinois and will be working security during the convention. Navarro said he believes the assassination attempt will lead to tighter convention security.
Francisco Navarro said he is in town from Illinois and will be working security during the convention. Navarro said he believes the assassination attempt will lead to tighter convention security. (Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
“I think security will be heightened. People will be on alert. It’s just going to be different now. People are going to have a lot of worries,” Navarro said.
Sweeney said she agrees that security needs to be top of mind, but said she is confident Milwaukee will host a safe convention.
“I hope Milwaukee shines. I’m not from Milwaukee originally, but it’s my home now and I love it and they’ve done a ton of work and the city looks beautiful and I hope on the world stage this city looks as great as it is and it comes off,” Sweeney said.
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