As we approach the November midterm elections, Wisconsin is looking more blue.
Current views are that the U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin is one of a handful more likely to flip. Dynamic Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes is poised to send Ron “Conspiracies R Us” Johnson into retirement. A growing number of polls are showing Barnes with the edge, though the polls do still swing from one to the other.
Even CNN, which seems to enjoy tilting to the right these days, moved Wisconsin up two spots on its list of flippable U.S. Senate seats. Barnes’ success must be getting to the GOP. The NRSC is going all out to defeat Barnes, saying that his numbers will look different once they're done with their attacks.
But Barnes has hit back. He called the GOP scare-tactic ad that claims he supports defunding police with his own ad, calling it for what it is – a lie. “I'll make sure our police have the resources and training they need to keep our community safe and that our communities have the resources to stop crime. Before it happens, I'll bring back manufacturing and I'll pass the middle-class tax cut. And if that's too scary for Washington, then so be it.”
The excitement over picking up a Senate seat is prompting Together We Elect and the Daily Kos to sponsor a special Zoom event focusing on the races in Wisconsin. The Thursday, Sept. 15 event – open to all – will feature Ben Wikler, chair of the WisDems.
Wikler has been a frequent guest on the popular political podcast “Pod Save America” and is the go-to guy that media outlets turn to for insightful comments. Here’s what Politico wrote about Wikler:
“Since taking over as chair in 2019, he’s raised nearly $100 million, believed to be a fundraising record for a Democratic state party, and helped President Joe Biden win the tipping point state of the 2020 election, which helped Democrats rebuild their Midwestern ‘blue wall.’ Now, Wikler’s machine is facing its biggest test, one that will ripple into 2024.”
Wisconsin’s Congressional District 3 is also a race to watch. The retiring U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D, leaves open one of the country’s most competitive swing seats. WI State Senator Brad Pfaff, the former Wisconsin secretary-designee of agriculture, trade, and consumer protection, won the state's Democratic primary. He will face Republican Derrick Van Orden, whose campaign website continues to rant about schools being closed in the pandemic. But Van Orden narrowly lost to Kind in 2020, which has the GOP itching for a flip. And the district is rated R+4.
Wisconsin is a tough battleground. The two most recent presidential elections were decided by less than 1 percentage point. Biden defeated Trump by 0.7 points, and Trump defeated Clinton by 0.7 points.
You can get more information on the Wisconsin Congressional races and you can sign up to attend the Sept. 15 free Zoom event, which starts at 7 p.m. EST
