GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The candidates are ramping up the campaigning, coming to our area more frequently leading up to Election Day on Nov. 8, and they’re starting to bring well-known guests with them.
Green Bay area Republicans gathered together at Badger State Brewing Wednesday night to hear Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin campaign for Tim Michels.
“Republican governors have outperformed Democratic governors across the board coming out of this pandemic,” said Youngkin. “Faster economic growth, better outcomes in schools, better safety outcomes in neighborhoods.”
Youngkin is a businessman who won his position last year in a state President Joe Biden won handily in 2020.
Michels is hoping to do something similar. He’s in a tight race with Gov. Tony Evers, who spent his day at UW-Madison with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
“This election, the economy is on the ballot,” said Warren. “Republicans want this economy to work better for millionaires and billionaires.”
Bringing in big name outsiders is at the very least designed to fire up supporters, but political scientists are skeptical whether they have much impact on a race’s outcome.
“Usually, candidate visits don’t have very sizeable impacts but certainly can mobilize people who maybe are on the edge, thinking about voting,” said Aaron Weinschenk, political science professor at UW-Green Bay.
Former President Barack Obama will be in Milwaukee on Saturday to campaign for Evers and U.S. Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.
So far, two big names who haven’t been announced for Wisconsin stops leading up to Election Day are President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
FOX 11 asked Sen. Ron Johnson if he is planning to have Trump come to Wisconsin.
“I don’t think it’s on the schedule,” said Johnson. “I really haven’t asked anybody to come. This is a race between two people, two candidates. I think the choice is pretty clear.”
Trump was here for Michels before his primary victory in August. However, Michels didn’t mention Trump in his Badger State address.
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