KENOSHA — Kenosha has been thrust into the national spotlight this year for the shooting of Jacob Blake and the civil unrest that followed. Now it is being watched closely by both parties as a battleground within Battleground state.
In 2016, President Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 238 votes. It was the first time since the election of Richard Nixon that the county had voted for a Republican for president. This year both sides are engaging in get out the vote campaigns as they head towards the November election.
Voters from both sides that we talked to agreed that Tuesday’s debate would be different.
“It’s not your standard debate,” said Trump voter Pamela Mundling.
“Pretty confrontational and kind of a lot of interrupting,” said Biden voter Josh Groetsema. Both had only seen less than 20 minutes of the debate when they made that observation.
As for the issues, both voters said the economic recovery in Kenosha from COVID-19 and the civil unrest are top of mind.
“I think people trust Donald trump a little bit better to get the economy going again. To let COVID run its course. That doesn’t mean to throw off restraint, that means there is only so much that can be done for COVID,” said Mundling.
“From my perspective right now Joe Biden has a plan for healthcare he has a plan for the economy. I know Donald Trump has been talking about it for a number of years but I haven’t seen what that plans are,” said Groetsema.
Both sides agreed that the race in Kenosha could be as close as it was in 2016.