MADISON, Wis. — Amid the full-court press to close out the 2022 election, even candidates that are not on the ballot this fall help chip in on political campaigns.
“We all like Tammy!” were the cheers from the crowd at a La Crosse campaign stop Thursday, where the U.S. senator campaigned on behalf of her fellow Democrat Mandela Barnes.
“I need him as a partner in the United States Senate to take action,” Baldwin said at the event.
More than just having an extra person to cover ground, a surrogate like Baldwin could have a real impact on voters, according to UW-La Crosse political scientist Anthony Chergosky.
“I think Tammy Baldwin could be quite valuable to the Democrats as they close out this campaign,” Chergosky said. “Tammy Baldwin was victorious by a rather impressive margin in 2018, and that speaks to Tammy Baldwin’s ability to gain support from a wide variety of voters.”
Her presence in La Crosse Thursday worked, said Democratic organizers there.
“I was talking with one of our organizers and she said that we signed up a ton of people to go canvassing and door knocking just because Tammy Baldwin was there motivating and encouraging people,” said William Garcia, chair of the La Crosse County Democrats.
It is a similar story on the Republican side too. In the competitive race for the 3rd Congressional District — which includes western Wisconsin like La Crosse — Republicans like U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil have campaigned for the GOP candidate in that district Derrick Van Orden.
“Most of my decisions are just based on the issues that are important to talk about and advocate for,” Steil said. “And as we look at Derrick Van Orden, in the western part of Wisconsin, he’s committed to making sure we’re standing with the men and women of law enforcement and in particular, addressing the fentanyl crisis that we see plaguing the state of Wisconsin.”
Chergosky said it is impressive, and important, for a Wisconsin Republican like Van Orden to receive wide backing like that.
“In some situations, we’ve seen tension between the more Trump-aligned wing of the Republican Party and the more old-school establishment wing of the Republican Party,” Chergosky said. “But both wings of the Republican Party are in lockstep behind Derrick Van Orden, and that’s been a huge key to his success.”
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