Wisconsin governor's race; election nears, campaigns intensify

With the Nov. 8 election less than two weeks away, top Democrats and Republicans descend on Wisconsin. The Cook Political Report lists the state's race for governor as a toss-up and recent polls show the candidates very close.

Gov. Tony Evers launched a 10-day school bus tour of Wisconsin on Oct. 27, with the first stop in Milwaukee, where he laid out his lesson plan for the state.

"We’re gonna win this, but we’re going to need everybody doing everything you can," Evers said.

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National reinforcements have come to help both Evers and Republican challenger Tim Michels win Wisconsin. U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, with Evers, rallied union members to "Vote Blue."

"We’re not going to be knocked down this time. We’re going to get up, and we’re going to send a message. We’re going to send the governor back to his statehouse," said Walsh.

Tim Michels; Tony Evers

Michels on Oct. 26 rallied with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who in 2021 flipped his state red.

"Now is your moment, it’s your moment, it’s your moment to pick up that red wave that’s crossing across the whole nation," Youngkin said.

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Michels and Youngkin stopped in Waukesha – a crucial red county with slipping Republican support. In 2014, Scott Walker won 72% of the county, but dropped to 66% in 2018. Former President Donald Trump underperformed those numbers in Waukesha County in both 2016 and 2020, when he won roughly 60% of Waukesha County.

Republican support in Waukesha County

Statewide, Evers beat Walker in 2018 by 1.1%. In that election, 66% of Milwaukee County voted for Evers. Democrats did better in 2020, when 69% of Milwaukee County voted for President Joe Biden.

This year, polls show the economy and inflation are top issues.

"I’m not just some candidate just standing up here talking about creating jobs. I’ve done it. I’ve created thousands of jobs," said Michels. "Thousands of non-union jobs, thousands of non-union jobs."

"We have a really strong economy, folks. We’re in the best shape we’ve been in a decade," Evers said. "We have one of the lowest unemployment rates ever, and we’ve got the most people working ever."

AdImpact Politics, a group that monitors ad spending, reports that Evers has outspent Michels. Evers and Democrats plan to spend more than $11 million over the final two weeks of the campaign, AdImpact found, while Michels and his supporters are set to spend just over $7 million.

Voting day already happened for many. Cities and towns across Wisconsin have opened up early voting sites — including at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee

More reinforcements are on the way to Wisconsin, including Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and former President Barack Obama.