Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump held competing rallies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just days before the election, highlighting the battleground state’s importance. The events drew large crowds, with over 12,000 people attending Harris’ rally at the Wisconsin State Fair Park Exposition Center and Trump speaking at the Fiserv Forum. Both candidates urged their supporters to get out and vote, emphasizing the tight race in Wisconsin, where recent polls show a margin-of-error race between the two nominees. With just four days to go until Election Day, both campaigns are making a final push to secure the state’s electoral votes.
At her rally, Harris was joined by rapper Cardi B, who credited Harris with changing her mind about voting in the presidential election. The vice president urged those who hadn’t voted yet to do so, highlighting the importance of every vote in such a closely contested race. Trump, on the other hand, made a direct plea to his supporters, stating, “I want your damn vote.” Both candidates made their final appeals to Wisconsin voters, hoping to secure a victory in a state that could play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the election.
This event marked the second time in the week that the major party nominees held rallies on the same day in Wisconsin, underscoring the state’s significance in the presidential race. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor emeritus Mordecai Lee noted that the election was so close that predicting the winner was akin to flipping a coin. Both the Democratic and Republican Parties’ vice presidential nominees, as well as major surrogates like former Presidents Obama and Clinton, have campaigned in the state in recent days, underscoring the intense focus on Wisconsin in the final stretch leading up to Election Day.
Wisconsin, along with Michigan and Pennsylvania, forms the Democrats’ so-called “blue wall,” which Trump broke in 2016 by narrowly winning all three states. In 2020, President Biden was able to reclaim these states, including Wisconsin, by slim margins, putting them back in the Democrats’ column and winning the White House. The candidates and their aligned committees and super PACs have flooded Wisconsin airwaves with TV ads in the closing stretch, aiming to sway undecided voters and energize their base to turn out on Election Day.
As the candidates make their final pleas to voters in Wisconsin, the state’s pivotal role in the election cannot be overstated. With a history of flipping between parties in recent elections, Wisconsin is a crucial battleground that could determine the overall outcome of the presidential race. Both campaigns are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to secure the state’s electoral votes, recognizing its importance in the path to victory. In the coming days leading up to Election Day, the focus will remain on the Rust Belt states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, as both parties vie for control of these crucial battlegrounds.
