DODGEVILLE, Wis. – In case you missed it, on Saturday Tammy Baldwin was joined by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro on the campaign trail, where they fired up rural voters from Richland, Lafayette, and Iowa counties.
These stops highlighted Tammy’s “go everywhere” campaign strategy as she heads toward Election Day. Tammy was elected to represent the people of Wisconsin, which is why she makes it a priority to show up, listen, and deliver for all of Wisconsin’s communities – red, blue, and purple and rural, urban, and suburban. She doesn’t count anyone out, and the results speak for themselves. Both Richland and Lafayette Counties voted for President Trump in 2016 and 2020, voted overwhelmingly for Tammy in 2018, and she intends to earn these counties’ support again in 2024.
In the News:
- Since both population growth and voter turnout are sky-high in Dane County, Democrats are focusing heavily on the area as key to winning elections in this closely-divided swing state. But Baldwin, like Shapiro, who made inroads with rural voters in Pennsylvania, makes a point of campaigning in rural and suburban areas that lean Republican. […]
- Appealing to voters in areas where other Democrats don’t often show up is a big part of both politicians’ formula for success. In their joint, rural campaign stops in Wisconsin they modeled an approach to politics that refuses to take the urban-rural political divide for granted, and that reconnects with voters the rest of their party has often overlooked. That approach dovetails with the Harris campaign’s effort to appeal to disaffected Republicans and to present the Democratic party as a “big tent.” […]
- Lafayette County Supporter: “She credited Baldwin and Pocan with coming to the area frequently and listening to people. “They understand what happens in the rural communities, because they’re out there, right? And so we know we matter to them. So showing up is a huge part of it, I think.” She has relatives, she said, who split their tickets, voting Republican in most races, but making and exception for Baldwin. […]
- Former Lafayette County Clerk: The working theory for a long time has been that you have to be a Republican to win in Lafayette County, he said. Now that’s starting to change. “You can be a Democrat and win, but you have to work at it,” he added.“It isn’t that it’s so Republican,” he said of the area. “It’s that we haven’t given people a reason to vote for the Democrats.” Baldwin and Pocan “gave you reasons” in their speeches, he added. […]
The Washington Post: Why should Democrats show up in rural America? Ask Tammy Baldwin.
- After supporting Barack Obama in both his presidential campaigns, the county voted for Donald Trump by 5.5 percentage points in 2016 and expanded his margin to 9.7 points in 2020. But in 2018, the liberal Baldwin won there even bigger — by 14.6 points.
- Richland was one of 17 such Trump-to-Baldwin counties in the state, which suggests there are still some parts of the country where ticket-splitting has not gone entirely extinct. […]
- This year, Democrats up and down the ticket are waking up to something Baldwin recognized long ago: That Democrats cannot afford to ignore rural America, even as it has swung harder to the right. For starters, they have to show up. […]
- Yes, it is the rare Democratic politician like Baldwin who can still win in rural areas. But in battleground states where polls show the race as tight as it is, even losing by less could make all the difference.
The New York Times: Baldwin, With Shapiro in Tow, Looks For ‘Trump-Tammy Voters’ in Wisconsin
- The two made campaign stops over the weekend here in south-central Wisconsin, in a pair of rural counties that reliably voted for Donald J. Trump in 2016 and 2020. Despite the deep well of support here for Mr. Trump, Ms. Baldwin won these counties by double digits in 2018, victories that helped her coast to a second term in the U.S. Senate. […]
- Mr. Ford, who is self-employed, came to Ms. Baldwin’s rally in Richland Center, where he lives, to hear her message on the economy and immigration. Before the event, he said he was not sure whom he would vote for in November, either for president or senator, but said that he had voted for Mr. Trump in 2020 because he wanted to support someone who would secure the southern border. He had not voted for Ms. Baldwin previously, he said, but thought she had done “a great job so far,” and was rethinking his support for Mr. Trump because he was concerned about “his ethics.” [..] Afterward, before posing for pictures with both elected officials, he said he remained undecided but was now leaning toward supporting Ms. Baldwin because of her comments about her support for the Affordable Care Act.
On the Trail:
Tammy was joined by Gov. Shapiro for a meet & greet with Richland County supporters.
Afterwards, Tammy and Gov. Shapiro knocked on a few doors in Richland Center to get out the vote.
For the last stop of the day, Tammy and Gov. Shapiro attended the Iowa & Lafayette County picnic to fire up supporters.
Read More:
The New York Times: Baldwin, With Shapiro in Tow, Looks For ‘Trump-Tammy Voters’ in Wisconsin
The Washington Post: Why should Democrats show up in rural America? Ask Tammy Baldwin.
Channel 3000: Pennsylvania’s governor travels to Wisconsin to campaign with Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Civic Media: Baldwin & Shapiro in Richland Center
715 Newsroom: Baldwin Hits Campaign Trail
Gazette Xtra: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro campaigns for US Sen. Tammy Baldwin in Janesville
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