United States Elections: Wisconsin, of Republican birth, becomes a key state for Trump and Harris

The state of Wisconsin, cradle of the Republican Party, could have the keys to the White House in the elections on November 5, which is why the candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have intensified their efforts to appeal to an electorate that has been undecided.

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Although the city of Ripon saw the birth of former President Trump’s political formation in 1854, Wisconsin is considered a fundamental part of the so-called ‘blue wall’, along with Michigan and Pennsylvania, where the working-class vote is key for the party of the Vice President Harris.

During the last four elections, whoever has won in Wisconsin, which does not show a definitive intention to vote for any of the candidates and is therefore classified as a “pendulum” or “hinge” state, has won the US Presidency ., including Trump in 2016.

With a population close to 5.9 million people, of which more than 4.5 million are qualified to vote, Wisconsin will allocate ten of the 538 Electoral College votes, which represents 1.8% of the votes with which the country’s president is elected.

The narrow margin of 11,384 votes (0.3% difference) with which John Kerry won this state over George W. Bush in 2004 is a reference for what can happen in the current elections.

The advantage that the Democratic candidate has in Wisconsin, according to the polls, is just 0.7% over the Republicanreveals the latest average calculation made by the FiveThirtyEight website.

Since Biden’s margin of victory four years ago was just 20,682 votes over Trump (less than 1% difference), The candidates know the importance of Wisconsin and that is why they have visited it twice in the week before the elections.

The economic agenda of the candidates can be decisive in this state with a working-class tradition, with an average minimum wage of $7.25 per hour that has felt the impact of inflation. The proposal for an increase to fifteen dollars has the support of Harris and the evasion of Trump.

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The former US president has given greater prominence in his appearances in Wisconsin to illegal immigration and from there he has insisted that he will carry out “the largest deportation carried out in the country” if he reaches the White House.

Given the Republican’s radical stance towards undocumented immigrants, Barack Obama himself responded to him at a rally in the state, where he said, addressing attendees, that “if you question the plans, Trump will resort to a single response: blaming the immigrants.”

At the same time, Harris’ strategy has focused on attracting the support of moderate Republicans, for which she has had the support of Trump’s detractor Liz Cheney and the support of conservative figures such as Senator Robert Cowles or the mayor of Waukesha, Shawn Reilly.

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