The Capitol Report, produced by WisPolitics.com — a nonpartisan, Madison-based news service that specializes in coverage of government and politics — provides a weekly analysis of issues being debated in Wisconsin state government. It is underwritten by the WNA and produced exclusively for its members. WisPolitics.com President Jeff Mayers is a former editor and reporter for the Associated Press and a former political writer for the Wisconsin State Journal.
By WisPolitics.com
We are a divided state and country.
But maybe there are things the major parties can agree on.
One thing, for sure: Wisconsin, at the center of the political universe, will see record spending this pivotal election year.
That’s one of the major takeaways from a recent WisPolitics event in Madison featuring the two chairs of the state parties — Democrat Ben Wikler and Republican Brian Schimming.
The two expect hundreds of millions of dollars to go into political campaigns leading up to the November election.
Wikler and Schimming didn’t offer specific dollar amount estimates at the event.
But Schimming said the combination of the presidential race, the U.S. Senate race between U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, and Republican Eric Hovde, along with two competitive congressional races and new legislative maps will make for a “very expensive” cycle.
Wikler said he expects the number of competitive races to boost overall turnout, giving the example of a voter who goes to the polls to oust Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and then votes for President Joe Biden.
Both party chairs agreed they will need to appeal to a broad swath of voters in every corner of the state to have success in crossing the finish line.
Wikler said whichever party neglects any part of the state will lose in November, “and they won’t be the Democrats.”
“We’re going to have to show up everywhere. Democrats are organizing in some of the reddest, most rural parts of Wisconsin and finding Democrats who they didn’t know were there, putting yard signs in their yards,” Wikler said. “And I know the Republicans will be doing the same.”
Schimming said Republicans will be aiming to energize Wisconsinites who typically don’t go to the polls, saying there are hundreds of thousands of voters who have Republican values but haven’t voted before.
“We know where they are, and we’re going to go get them,” he said.
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He added Republicans will push early voting this time around, which presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump had decried in the past.
“We are not going to sit back and allow another party to take advantage of things that are legal and on the books. We’re not doing that; we’re going for the win,” he said.
Wikler said he would rather live in a world where Republicans try to get the most votes rather than “trying to get a certain kind of vote and then throw all the other votes away,” referencing Trump’s challenges of the 2020 election results.
“I think that’s an improvement for our democracy. I hope that your presidential nominee sticks to that plan,” Wikler said.
In addition to July’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the two parties are convening election-year conventions for state activists. The Republicans meet May 17-19 in Appleton, and Wisconsin Democrats meet June 8-9 in Milwaukee.
For more, go to www.wispolitics.com
The Capitol Report is written by editorial staff at WisPolitics.com, a nonpartisan, Madison-based news service that specializes in coverage of government and politics and is distributed for publication by members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.
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