As the presidential election draws to a close, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will both travel to the Milwaukee area in Wisconsin on Friday, November 1st for rallies just under seven miles apart, in a final push to secure votes in the swing state of Wisconsin’s largest county.
These showdown-style rallies may be the last time the two candidates make a public appearance in battleground Wisconsin before election day. Both candidates have emphasized the intense competition for the state’s 10 electoral votes. Wisconsin has seen very close margins in the past six presidential elections, with victories decided by less than 1 percentage point or under 23,000 votes.
On that day, Trump will head to downtown Milwaukee while Harris will head to the suburbs of the city.
Trump’s rally is set at 8 p.m. Central Time at the same venue as the Republican National Convention three months ago, the Fiserv Forum, where he will deliver a speech.
Harris’s rally will take place at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, starting at 6 p.m. Central Time and expected to continue until 10 p.m. Rapper Cardi B will perform at the event, along with GloRilla, Flo Milli, MC Lyte, the Isley Brothers, and DJ GEMINI GILLY.
Friday’s schedule marks Harris’s ninth stop as a presidential candidate in the state and her fifth visit to Milwaukee or its suburbs. For Trump, this will be his tenth stop in Wisconsin, not counting the Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee, and his third visit to the Milwaukee area.
Milwaukee County is a stronghold for the Democratic votes in Wisconsin, but its suburbs lean more conservative. Trump narrowly won the county in 2016, lost in 2020, and is now determined to regain support.
In 2020, absentee voting in Milwaukee City, also known as mail-in voting, played a crucial role in Joe Biden’s victory in Wisconsin.
Harris is eager to match or surpass the voter turnout in the city from 2020 when 79% of people voted in support of Biden.
Milwaukee City also boasts the largest Black population in the state. Democrats understand the need to mobilize voters in Milwaukee to counterbalance Trump’s support in the suburbs and rural areas.
The Milwaukee County Election Commission estimates they will receive over 100,000 ballots on election day, November 5th, but there is still a gap compared to the early conservative suburban votes.
Hilario Deleon, the chair of the Republican Party in Milwaukee County, stated, “Both candidates recognize that Milwaukee County is the gateway to the White House.”
Angela Lang, the founder and executive director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities in Milwaukee, said many Democrats are feeling “anxious yet cautiously optimistic” about the election prospects.
She mentioned, “In 2016, Democrats did not invest as much energy, but I think Democrats have clearly learned their lesson and realized the importance of Milwaukee and Wisconsin as a whole.”
Brian Schimming, the chair of the Republican Party in Wisconsin, suggested that Harris’s return to the Democratic stronghold of Milwaukee signifies her defensive position, while Trump is on the offense.
Ben Wikler, the chair of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin, expressed, “No one knows which way these voters will go, but my sense is that Harris may have some surprises up her sleeve.”
Angela Lang, the leader of the Black community in Milwaukee, noted that many of the voters her organization reaches out to prefer voting on election day, which is a tradition. But she questioned, “What if they don’t vote?”
Mandela Barnes, former Democratic lieutenant governor and chairperson of “Power to the Polls,” replied, “Then we have a problem.”
In another campaign event on Thursday night targeting Black voters, former President Bill Clinton and local religious leaders held a rally at an African American music and arts center in Milwaukee.
Before the Friday rallies, Trump will also hold two rallies in Michigan, another crucial swing state needed to secure the presidential election. At 1 p.m. Eastern Time, he will speak in Portage, Michigan, then head to Warren, Michigan, for a rally at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will also conduct campaign activities in Michigan on Friday, making stops in Detroit, Flint, and Traverse City. Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, will campaign in another battleground state, North Carolina.
Currently, in Michigan, Harris leads Trump by 0.4 percentage points (48.6% to 48.2%). Trump leads in Wisconsin. Nationally, Harris is ahead of Trump by 0.4 percentage points.
According to the Hill/Decision Desk HQ poll summary, Trump leads Harris by 0.5 percentage points (48.9% to 48.4%).
With just four days left until election day, it is expected that both Harris and Trump will continue their efforts to win over voters until the last minute, making the outcome unpredictable.