Two major parties target Waukesha County as close statewide races enter election homestretch

WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Ahead of the midterm election Tuesday, we're looking at how statewide races could be impacted by the WOW counties- Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington.

Those suburban counties have traditionally delivered strong Republican gains, but with several statewide races polling neck-and-neck, both parties are fighting for every vote.

Both parties said the key to winning this election is turnout, which means their ground games are critical in these final few days. They say voters are likely tired of the seemingly never-ending ads, so face-to-face connections are the way to win people over.

Terry Dittrich is the chairman of the Waukesha County GOP. He said, "I don't think you can win the state of Wisconsin without winning Waukesha County in large numbers."

Waukesha Republicans know what's expected of them next Tuesday. Dittrich says theirs is the biggest red county in the state. In 2020, more votes were cast for Donald Trump in Waukesha County than anywhere else in the state.

Even Waukesha Democrats call it the heart of the Republican party, which is why they're trying to pick off every voter they can. Matthew Mareno, the chairman of the Waukesha County Democratic Party, said, "Every time we talk to a voter, and we can convince them to move from Tim Michels or Scott Walker to a Democrat, it's almost like a two-vote swing."

Mareno said social issues are top of mind, and they're trying to target people who lean Republican but may have voted for Tammy Baldwin or Joe Biden in the past. He said, "Once you do it once, there's an opening there that we can have conversations around. That it's more of a reasonable alternative versus that extremist type they're trying to paint Democrats as."

The GOP said the biggest issue for voters is inflation and provides them a chance to pick up Democratic voters. Dittrich said, "The grocery store, the inflation at the pump, driving their kids around, and inflation in general. It's not a single-party issue."

Dittrich added the recent Darrell Brooks trial shined a spotlight on crime as an issue, and parental choice in schools is also a concern.

He says driving Republican turnout will be pivotal in counteracting Democratic votes in Milwaukee and Dane counties.

Dittrich said, "They're very clear on the issues, they're very clear on the differences between our position and what's going on with the Democrats."

Mareno said hundreds of Democratic volunteers are knocking on doors, trying to make more impactful, face-to-face connections because it's hard to fit the party platform into a 30-second ad.

And he said it's working. Mareno said, "Our voter engagement rates are near presidential levels in terms of people who are picking up their phones, people who are answering their door."

Both sides said they're concerned about the amount of money the other side is spending on ads.