Waukegan Democrats Mobilize Amid Campaign Gaps in Illinois \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Waukegan, Illinois, located just across the border from Wisconsin, struggles to gain attention from presidential campaigns due to the Electoral College system, which heavily favors swing states like Wisconsin. Local Democrats, frustrated by the lack of resources and candidate visits, have resorted to grassroots efforts to mobilize voters. Meanwhile, residents express frustration that their votes seem less valuable, while neighboring Wisconsin cities get significant attention from presidential candidates.
Waukegan’s Campaign Challenges: Quick Looks
- Waukegan, Illinois, a city just across the border from swing state Wisconsin, is receiving little attention from presidential candidates.
- The Electoral College system prioritizes battleground states, leaving reliably Democratic states like Illinois overlooked in campaign stops.
- Local Democrats are mobilizing through grassroots efforts, holding postcard-writing events and making their own Harris-Walz yard signs.
- Residents feel frustrated and neglected, with Waukegan’s Latino and Black communities seeing little campaign focus despite their critical issues.
Deep Look:
At the Waukegan Township Democrats’ office, volunteers are working on grassroots voter mobilization efforts, writing postcards to voters in Wisconsin, a key battleground state in the upcoming presidential election. Waukegan, Illinois, a city that lies just across the border from Wisconsin, is largely ignored by presidential candidates because Illinois is not a swing state. This year, the Electoral College system is once again leaving residents in places like Waukegan feeling overlooked.
“Here in Waukegan, it’s been harder to get a hold of Harris yard signs, so we’re printing out our own,” said Matt Muchowski, chair of the Waukegan Township Democrats. The limited supply of campaign resources reflects the reality that Illinois is a reliably Democratic state, where presidential campaigns see little need to invest time or money.
Electoral College System Neglects Waukegan
The Electoral College has long been criticized for giving disproportionate power to a handful of swing states. As campaigns focus on states like Wisconsin, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, states that lean strongly Democratic or Republican are often neglected. Illinois, which hasn’t voted for a Republican president since George H.W. Bush in 1988, is one of those overlooked states. This frustrates residents of cities like Waukegan, especially as neighboring Wisconsin — a key battleground state — receives repeated visits and resources from both major campaigns.
“We’re so close, but the issues we care about aren’t getting attention because we’re not in a swing state,” Muchowski explained. He expressed frustration that the votes of residents in swing states seem to count more than those in Illinois, and that important urban issues, such as poverty and education funding, are being ignored in the national conversation.
Neighboring Wisconsin Receives the Attention
By contrast, Racine, Wisconsin, just 50 miles north of Waukegan, has seen significant attention from the presidential campaigns. In June, Donald Trump hosted a rally in Racine, speaking about development and revitalization efforts in the area. In a separate visit, President Joe Biden praised a new Microsoft center in Racine County during his campaign stop. Racine is part of the heavily contested Wisconsin electorate, which, as a swing state, plays a critical role in determining the outcome of the election.
The attention that Wisconsin receives has further highlighted the divide between the states. While Racine boasts development and campaign stops, Waukegan’s industries and lakefront have been deteriorating for decades. Once a thriving industrial hub, Waukegan now struggles with high poverty and unemployment rates, crumbling infrastructure, and environmental damage. Despite these challenges, the city remains largely ignored by presidential campaigns.
A City of Multiculturalism and Resilience
Waukegan is a working-class, majority Latino city that also has a significant Black population. Its residents are proud of the city’s diversity, but they feel that the national political scene consistently overlooks their community. The last time a presidential candidate visited Waukegan was when Donald Trump briefly landed at the city’s airport in 2020, only to immediately head across the border to Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Sam Cunningham, former mayor of Waukegan, understands why campaigns focus their attention on swing states, but he also feels the pain of being neglected. “Do we feel slighted? Of course we do. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt,” Cunningham said, adding that Waukegan residents care about critical issues like affordable housing, gun violence, and job creation.
Waukegan also faces environmental challenges stemming from its industrial past. The city has five federal Superfund sites and its lakeshore is marked by the remnants of factories that once brought jobs to the community but also caused significant pollution.
Grassroots Efforts to Mobilize Voters
Despite being overlooked by national campaigns, Waukegan residents are not sitting idly by. Volunteers like Julie Contreras, a pastor and community advocate, work to support immigrants and organize local efforts. Contreras expressed frustration that candidates only pass through the city on their way to Wisconsin, without addressing the needs of Waukegan’s residents. “They’re missing out on a wonderful community right here,” she said.
Contreras is part of the city’s grassroots efforts, helping people rebuild homes and gathering donations for residents in need. Local Democratic leaders like Muchowski are also organizing their own voter mobilization activities. Recently, the Waukegan Township Democrats held a postcard-writing pizza party to reach voters in Wisconsin. They’re also making their own Harris-Walz yard signs, reflecting their determination to play a role in the election, even if they are in a non-battleground state.
Challenges of the Electoral College System
The frustrations felt in Waukegan are a reflection of the broader issues with the Electoral College system. Presidential campaigns spend the bulk of their resources in swing states, leaving much of the country without any direct engagement. Muchowski called the system “anti-democratic” and expressed concern that urban voters, particularly people of color, are being discounted in the national political process.
Through Tuesday, the Democratic and Republican campaigns had made just two stops in Illinois this year, compared to 27 in Wisconsin. Illinois remains a reliable Democratic stronghold, and as such, doesn’t get the same level of campaign activity as battleground states like Pennsylvania and Arizona. Nationally, the campaigns have focused the majority of their events in just seven key battleground states, leaving much of the rest of the country feeling left out.
Looking Forward: The Call for Engagement
Many Waukegan residents are calling on national candidates to pay more attention to their community. Margaret Padilla Carrasco, a lifelong Waukegan resident, said she drove to Milwaukee in August to see Kamala Harris speak. Carrasco is urging candidates to spend time in Waukegan and listen to its residents’ concerns. “You need to hear us,” she said. “You need to talk to us.”
Though Waukegan may be overlooked in the national campaign, its residents continue to rely on each other to address the challenges they face. As Muchowski said, “Waukegan, for a lot of people, is a city of grit and imagination.” And while the city may not receive the same attention as nearby Wisconsin, its residents remain hopeful that their voices will eventually be heard.
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