How 2020 presidential candidates can win over Wisconsin voters

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) – — Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, just officially announced his presidential bid. Others, like Joe Biden, are expected to run.

Many political experts think the 2020 presidential election may come down to how Wisconsin votes.

We caught up with Rep. Ron Kind to see what he thinks presidential candidates have to do to win over Wisconsin voters.

There are currently 19 Democratic candidates running for president.

For those candidates to have a chance at defeating President Donald Trump, Kind thinks they have to unify the country and focus in on a few key political issues.

“Just punching through with so many others running for the same office is going to be a big challenge,” Kind said.

Kind thinks the biggest way candidates can distance themselves from their competition is by bringing the country closer together.

“Things are just way too polarized, way too hyperpartisan. So I’m going to be listening carefully to the candidates running, what they can do as one of the future leaders of our country to help restore some of that civility,” Kind asked.

Many of the candidates, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, are campaigning with that goal in mind.

“No president, not Bernie Sanders, not anybody else, no matter how well-intentioned or honest that person may be, no president of the United States can do it alone,” Sanders said.

To get Wisconsin voters out to the polls, Kind thinks the candidates need to address issues that impact voters’ wallets.

“I fully anticipate access to affordable health care being one of the main issues, but how do we develop a sustainable economy that includes all Americans so we’re not leaving anyone behind? Especially in this era of growing income inequality,” Kind said.

Presidential candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Amy Klobuchar are vowing to do just that.

“Today, a minimum-wage job in America, full-time, will not support a mama and a baby and keep them out of poverty. I’m in this fight because I want a government that cares a whole lot less about corporate profit and a whole lot more about families like ours,” Warren said.

“No matter where you come from, no matter who you know, no matter what you look like and no matter who you love, you can get ahead in this country, and that’s why I’m running for president,” Klobuchar said.

Perhaps the biggest threat for candidates, regardless of political affiliation, is low voter turnout, which is why Kind is urging people to vote.

“I tell you, it’s very important for everyone to be full participants of our democracy. Blood has been shed in our country giving people the right to vote, so I hope that everyone figures out a way to make sure they register and vote at every election,” Kind said.

If enough Wisconsin residents show up to the polls, they may just decide the next president.

“It may very well come down to where Wisconsin goes, so goes the presidency for 2020,” Kind said.

In addition to the 19 Democratic candidates running for president in 2020, there is a Republican who might add his name to the ballot.

Republican Bill Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts, is exploring a primary challenge to Trump, presenting himself as a voice for moderate conservatives.

The Wisconsin Democratic primary is April 7, 2020.

The Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee in July, 2020.

To learn more about all of the 2020 presidential candidates, go to ballotpedia.org.

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