Trump, Biden campaigns focus on Milwaukee voters ahead of election
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Democrats and Republicans have their eyes on Milwaukee, with the presidential election now just 13 days away.
President Trump will be campaigning in the Badger State on Saturday, Oct. 24, reportedly in Milwaukee, and a Women for Trump bus tour is currently making its way through the Milwaukee area, with a stop in Germantown.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin worked to get out the vote in Milwaukee with a bus tour Wednesday morning.
"Not just one, not just two, not just three early voting sites that we had in 2016," said Alderman Cavalier Johnson. "But we have an unprecedented 14 early voting sites across the city of Milwaukee."
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says he's confident this election will be different from 2016 -- that's when Milwaukee's turnout dipped and Donald Trump narrowly won Wisconsin.
Barrett says voters want the current president gone, and he has confidence in Joe Biden.
"I think there was frankly less enthusiasm for the Democratic candidate, now there's more enthusiasm," Barrett said. "And I can tell you we've seen much more activity from the campaign here in Milwaukee than we saw four years ago."
The Republican Party says they are also more committed to the city than previous elections, making more contact with Milwaukee voters and focusing more on minority issues than they have in the past.
"This is the first time in the history of the Republican Party of Wisconsin that we have an office in the city of Milwaukee, here in the central city, so we're going on the offensive," said Andrew Hitt, Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman. "We're competing for votes."
Campaign officials say Wisconsin was key in the 2016 victory and they see it as key in 2020.
"So you will see us out there talking with voters, talking with supporters, making sure they really understand what's at stake here in these final 13 days," said Erin Petrine, Trump campaign director of press communications.
The Trump campaign could be making an even bigger push for Milwaukee votes this weekend as the president himself will reportedly make a stop in the city on Saturday.