Trump Harris Milwaukee/ Wisconsin battleground 2024/ Trump rally Milwaukee/ Harris rally Wisconsin/ Wisconsin election turnout/ Newslooks/ MILWAUKEE/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ In the final stretch of the 2024 election, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are hosting competing rallies near Milwaukee. Both candidates are focusing on this pivotal Wisconsin county as they vie for votes in one of the nation’s most closely contested battlegrounds.
Trump and Harris in Milwaukee: Quick Looks
- Location and Context: Harris and Trump will host rallies just seven miles apart in Milwaukee’s metro area.
- Strategic Importance: Milwaukee is key for Democrats, while Trump focuses on conservative suburban voters.
- Milwaukee’s Role: As Wisconsin’s largest county, Milwaukee could determine the state’s critical 10 electoral votes.
- Event Details: Trump’s rally will be downtown; Harris will be at the state fair park, joined by prominent musical guests.
- Historical Context: Wisconsin has seen razor-thin results in recent presidential elections, often decided by narrow margins.
- Outreach Efforts: Both candidates aim to mobilize specific voter bases—Harris with Milwaukee’s urban voters and Trump with suburban conservatives.
Trump and Harris Rally in Milwaukee for Final Wisconsin Push
Deep Look
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are set to host dueling rallies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Friday evening, just days before Election Day. Their appearances underscore the critical role of Wisconsin, particularly Milwaukee County, in deciding the 2024 election as the candidates vie for every possible vote in this swing state.
Milwaukee, a Democratic stronghold, delivered significant votes for Joe Biden in 2020, helping him narrowly secure Wisconsin. However, its conservative suburbs, critical to Trump’s past success in 2016, remain a focal point for his campaign. Trump’s support in these areas waned in 2020, which contributed to his loss in Wisconsin, and he is now focused on recapturing these suburban voters as he aims to reclaim the state’s 10 electoral votes.
Hilario Deleon, Milwaukee County Republican Party chair, emphasized the area’s importance, noting that both candidates recognize “the road to the White House runs directly through Milwaukee County.” With only seven miles separating their events, Trump will rally supporters in downtown Milwaukee, while Harris will address voters at the state fair park in West Allis, a Milwaukee suburb.
The last-minute rallies come as both candidates work to sway a state where four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by fewer than 23,000 votes. In 2020, absentee votes from Milwaukee, reported the day after Election Day, clinched Biden’s win in Wisconsin—a result Democrats are eager to replicate in 2024. Milwaukee, home to Wisconsin’s largest Black community, voted overwhelmingly for Biden, and Harris’s campaign aims to drive even higher turnout among this demographic.
On Thursday night, former President Bill Clinton joined local faith leaders at a community center in Milwaukee, seeking to further engage Black voters. His visit highlighted the Democrats’ intensified outreach efforts, especially as Wisconsin was among the states Hillary Clinton did not visit during her 2016 campaign, a move many analysts believe cost her critical votes. In contrast, Harris has made Milwaukee a priority, marking her ninth visit to Wisconsin this year and fifth to Milwaukee’s metro area.
Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Brian Schimming interpreted Harris’s frequent returns to Milwaukee as a sign that Democrats are playing defense, while he argued Trump’s campaign is on the offensive. However, Democrats contend their mobilization efforts reflect lessons learned from 2016, aiming to ensure robust turnout in Milwaukee, which could help balance Trump’s support in the surrounding suburbs and rural areas.
With Election Day approaching, Milwaukee Election Commission reported an expectation of over 100,000 ballots by Tuesday, although early voting numbers from Milwaukee’s conservative suburbs have so far outpaced the city’s. The final count of early votes—and the identities of those casting them—remains unknown, though Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler expressed cautious optimism for Harris.
Angela Lang, director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities in Milwaukee, highlighted the tradition among some Milwaukee voters of waiting until Election Day to cast their ballots. Mandela Barnes, former lieutenant governor and president of Power to the Polls, voiced concern about turnout, noting that failure to secure votes could spell trouble for Democrats in the final stretch.
Trump’s rally will take place in the same downtown Milwaukee arena that hosted the Republican National Convention three months ago, signaling his continued focus on energizing the party’s base. Harris’s rally, meanwhile, will include a diverse lineup of performers and speakers. Rapper Cardi B is slated to deliver remarks, while additional performances are scheduled by artists GloRilla, Flo Milli, MC Lyte, The Isley Brothers, and DJ Gemini Gilly.
As both Harris and Trump make their final appeals to voters in one of the tightest battleground states, their Milwaukee appearances underscore Wisconsin’s potential to tip the balance in this high-stakes election.