In effort to shore up blue wall, Harris eyes Wisconsin

The battle for Wisconsin is intensifying as Vice President Kamala Harris sweeps into this deep blue college town and state capital of Madison for a rally.

MADISON, Wis. — The battle for one of the closest swing states is intensifying as Vice President Kamala Harris sweeps into this deep blue college town and state capital Friday for an evening rally.

This week, several new polls in Wisconsin showed an extremely tight race. Harris fared slightly better than former President Donald Trump — but all of the polls were within their margins of error. AARP’s survey came in at Harris 49%, Trump 48%. Quinnipiac University and Marist College also showed 1-point Harris edges, 49% to 48% in Quinnipiac’s and 50% and 49% in Marist’s. The fight over Wisconsin — considered a must-win for Harris as part of Democrats’ so-called blue wall — could tilt the election.

The Harris campaign has been ramping up its presence in the state since she took over the top of the Democratic ticket, and her selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has re-energized staff members in the state, a campaign official told NBC News. His blue-collar roots and strong union background are seen as ways to bolster support from organized labor, which could be crucial in the Midwest, the source said.

But while Harris has enjoyed broad union support and the backing of the United Auto Workers, this week the Teamsters declined to endorse any presidential candidate, the first time since 1996 that the powerful union hasn’t chosen a Democrat. (The Teamsters released their own internal poll that found nearly 60% of its rank-and-file members preferred Trump over Harris.)

Walz may come in handy elsewhere: cutting into Republicans' margins in the state’s many rural areas. Walz rallied supporters this past Saturday in Superior, a small town in Wisconsin’s northwest corner, at an event also attended by his wife, Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz. Superior shares a media market with Duluth, Minnesota, so its viewers are accustomed to seeing quite a bit of Walz — a familiarity the Harris campaign is keen to capitalize on.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/harris-eyes-wisconsin-blue-wall-rcna171791

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