Donald Trump and Kamala Harris plan to visit Wisconsin again to shore up votes

On Friday night, in the Milwaukee area, a mere seven miles will separate two rallies, one being hosted by US Vice-President Kamala Harris, and one by her opponent in the ongoing presidential election, Donald Trump.

The two politicians who have been embroiled in a close election race for the White House will be rallying in one of the biggest counties in Wisconsin, a swing state, to secure crucial votes.

Milwaukee, historically, has been the source of the most Democratic votes in the state of Wisconsin. Although some conservative suburbs are where most Republicans reside and could prove to be critical for Trump’s bid to reclaim the state that he won narrowly in 2016 and lost in 2020. As the AP reported, one of the primary reasons for Trump's loss was an increase in the Democratic votes in the city and a drop in support in the suburbs.

"Both candidates recognise that the road to the White House runs directly through Milwaukee County," said Hilario Deleon, chair of the county's Republican Party.

The planned rallies — Trump is scheduled in Downtown Milwaukee while Harris will remain in a suburb — will most likely be the last appearances in the state by the two presidential candidates before the November 5 elections. With the election too close to call, the 10 electoral votes offered by Wisconsin could prove to be pivotal.

According to AP, four of the past six presidential races in Wisconsin have been decided by less than a point, or fewer than 23,000 votes. For President Joe Biden, in the 2020 elections, the race was tipped in favour by the absentee votes from Milwaukee, which are typically counted and reported in the early morning hours of the next day.

Milwaukee is also home to the state’s largest Black population, and Democrats will look to take advantage of that to counteract Trump’s support emerging from the rural regions. Harris is looking to either replicate, or exceed if possible, the 2020 voter turnout of 79% for Biden – a tough task.

Trump, on the other hand, will be attempting to cut into that margin. As Deleon succinctly put it, it’s a “lose by less” mentality.

Angela Lang, founder and executive director of Black Leaders Organising for Communities in Milwaukee, noted that Democrats are “anxious and cautiously optimistic.”

"Especially given 2016 when there wasn't the same amount of energy, I think it's clear Democrats learnt lessons about the importance of Milwaukee and Wisconsin as a whole," Lang said.

The stop in Wisconsin on Friday will be Harris’s ninth stop in the state as a presidential candidate, proving that she is not looking to be complacent or repeat past mistakes. One that Hillary Clinton made in 2016 when she did not campaign in the state after her primary loss.

Similarly, the Friday stop will be Trump's 10th in the state, not counting the Republican Convention which was held in Milwaukee earlier this year.

For Harris to be returning to a Democratic stronghold like Wisconsin, proves that Trump has forced her on defence, said Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Brian Schimming.

It was estimated by the Milwaukee Election Commission that more than 100,000 ballots are expected to be received by Election Day – although the figure lags early votes from conservative areas.

"The question no one knows the answer to is who those voters are voting for," said Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler. "My feeling is that there may be some pleasant surprises for Harris."

Lang, the Milwaukee organiser, noted that it’s a known tradition for many voters to cast their ballots on Election Day and not in advance. And what if they don’t?

"Then we're in a world of trouble," said Mandela Barnes, a former lieutenant governor and president of Power to the Polls, a group that's been working to help boost voter turnout.

Trump’s rally will take place in the familiar area where the Republican convention was hosted three months ago. Harris’ rally, on the other hand, will be held at the state fair park in West Allis and will include Cardi B, a well-known rapper, as a speaker. Also planned are performances by GoRilla, Flo Milli and other artists.