Here & Now

We are just four days from the election, and while some of the most enthusiastic voters have already cast an absentee ballot, both parties are actively working to convince the rest of their voters to go to the polls.

On Tuesday.

While national polling shows Republican voters are the most likely to stay home, the parties are also trying to convince the growing Hispanic population in Wisconsin to vote.

Here and now, senior political reporter Zac Schultz was in Milwaukee and has this story.

And so we're probably started to tell in 72nd or something.

we'll work our way.

We'll work our way down.

Reaching voters in Wisconsin isn't just about television commercials.

How are you doing, sir?

Just out here.

Canvasing for Lee Whiting, who's running for state assembly in this district.

Often it comes down to volunteers knocking doors.

Hello.

Just out here.

Canvasing for Lee Whiting, who's.

Talking with voters one at a time.

Not sure if there's any issues that you're within Wisconsin, but.

For Republicans in Milwaukee County, finding a friendly door can be a challenge.

Lee isn't.

He's a Republican.

Oh, okay, then I forget.

My name's Hilario.

I'm.

I truly believe that Wisconsin's a Republican state.

It's just we have a turnout problem on our side.

And they don't realize that inflation has actually gone down now.

Yeah, exactly.

Hilario Deleon is chairman of the Republican Party of Milwaukee County.

And while it would be a major upset for the Republican in this Assembly seat to win every vote for him in this district likely comes with a vote for Tom Tiffany in his race for governor.

Milwaukee is the key to winning statewide elections, whether it's the white House, presidential elections or statewide offices for governor.

It's a message Tiffany repeats at his pub talks across the state.

We have a 72 county strategy.

We're not ignoring Milwaukee County.

We are not ignoring Dane County.

Republican turnout will play a key role in whether Tiffany can overcome a bad national environment for Republicans.

The midterms are coming up, and I hope you people are really spirited because.

Midterm elections often see the party of the president perform poorly.

And with Donald Trump's approval ratings at all time lows.

Tom Tiffany is one of the best congressmen.

Tiffany has spent a good chunk of the election trying to distance himself from Trump.

Now he's running for a thing called governor, and you have.

Tiffany needs Trump supporters to show up on Election Day.

But he really doesn't want to talk about Donald Trump.

It's much like my opponent.

You hear him talk when he talks about Tom Tiffany.

All he talks about is Tom, Tiffany and Donald Trump.

And he's not talking about what do Wisconsinites want?

So he can rail against Donald Trump.

I'm fighting for Wisconsin, and that's what I will do as governor.

Because we cannot allow Maga extremism to continue in the state of Wisconsin.

Y'all.

For Democrat David Crowley.

He wants voters to connect Tiffany with Trump.

You know, Congressman Tom Tiffany, he's been the Maga extremist and wants to run away from the fact that he has been lockstep with Trump for the past decade.

He has been one of the most conservative members that we've had here in the state of Wisconsin, being a part of the Freedom Caucus, but also not fighting on behalf of Wisconsinites.

Hilario Deleon runs into voters who aren't happy with Trump.

You get maniac in the white House and you got everything else.

But he says most Republicans don't regret their vote in 2024.

I had already planned on voting for him.

Happy to hear that.

My name is Hilario.

I'm the chairman.

We do run into voters that are frustrated at what's going on at those levels, but do they regret their vote?

No they don't.

They feel better off if things might be tough right now, but they're willing to kind of just short term pain for a long term gain.

There's a lot of talk among family and friends and coworkers, people regretting voting for Trump.

Christine Neumann Ortiz is the executive director of voces de la Frontera Action, the political arm of a group dedicated to helping immigrants and working people.

Our goal is to continuously increase the level of political participation by the Latino community and youth as well.

God bless the American people.

God bless President Trump and God bless the United States of America.

Two years ago, Milwaukee hosted the GOP convention.

Immigration is a big problem in every community in the United States.

Where thousands of delegates held up signs calling for mass deportation.

Now that fall, Hispanic voters around the country shifted towards Republicans, fueling a GOP wave.

Deleon says that wouldn't surprise anyone who actually knows Hispanics.

Sometimes they're the strongest supporters of it.

They.

They want it done because they're like, we're a nation of law and order.

I'm Hispanic.

I've had family in Wisconsin before.

It was a state on my mom's side.

I had family members I think were illegal.

My dad's side.

After two years of Ice raids, tariffs and inflation.

The question going into 26 was whether the Hispanic shift was permanent or a mirage.

The biggest shift was not the shift towards Trump as just the shift of stepping away from voting.

Voces de la Frontera action is located on Milwaukee's south side, in the heart of the Hispanic part of the city.

There are nearly 500,000 Hispanics living in the state, with more than half in southeast Wisconsin.

The Latino community has grown in every county in Wisconsin.

So when you think about voting, Latinos obviously have a very large number in certain areas like Milwaukee and Dane.

But they're everywhere.

Hi, Priscilla.

My name is Vanessa.

I'm an organizer with voces de la Frontera.

Action.

Have you heard of voces before?

That's why voces has volunteers running a phone bank.

Hi.

Is this Yvette?

We were just wondering if you were going to turn out and vote on November 3rd.

Yes.

Awesome.

And will you be supporting David Crowley?

Absolutely.

Love to hear that.

Phone bank is important because we are able to reach a lot of people.

And obviously, we start with the people who are closest to us.

And it's a personal conversation.

It's not a mass produced communication.

Get out the vote.

Campaigns are critical in these areas.

Just traditionally speaking, for Latinos, there is a lower voter turnout.

And we actually have seen that here in the South Side.

Cristable Martinez is chair of the Latino Caucus for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

She says threats of ice at the polls can have a chilling effect on voters.

I definitely think it's a legitimate concern.

And again, I think making sure that folks come prepared, you know, with identification ID, I know for me, even like I've walked around with my passport, you know, even though I'm a US citizen.

We're also telling people to vote early.

Martinez says Latino voters are motivated to support David Crowley for governor.

Despite everything that's been happening.

Again, it's a testament of how resilient our community is and how we are preparing, even in the face of adversity.

Crowley already represents this area as Milwaukee County Executive.

This is about making sure that folks have a seat at the table, and we have been working with them, getting folks access to different, different types of services and programs as it relates to our entrepreneurs, our small businesses, helping out our children or those who have been affected by the immigration agenda of this federal administration.

We asked Tom Tiffany what his message was for Hispanic voters.

Yeah, I don't deliver a message to any particular group.

I address all Wisconsinites, regardless of what your ethnicity is, regardless of what your color is, the plan that we have in place of lower taxes, greater affordability, making sure state government is accountable to you.

We're going to grow jobs.

We're going to make Wisconsin one of the best states in the country to be able to live, work and play.

And I think that resonates with everyone.

Deleon says this is actually the correct approach.

They identify themselves as a voter and the Hispanic second.

Deleon says Hispanics biggest issues are the same as all voters.

Affordability is a concern.

But, you know, another concern that is probably equally or almost beyond that is public safety.

People are scared.

Norman Ortiz agrees.

The issues intersect with all voters, but says it's okay to speak directly to Hispanics.

Immigrants are definitely part of the working class.

Latinos are part of the working class, disproportionately.

So all affecting others on housing and, you know, the cost of education, the cost of health care, all of those things are, you know, affect them as well.

And while Tiffany doesn't have a specific outreach plan for Hispanics, the Republican Party of Wisconsin does.

They opened this Hispanic Outreach Center in 2024, but wouldn't allow us to interview the coordinator for this story.

Christine Neumann Ortiz doubts the GOP speaks to the needs of Hispanics, but says the Outreach Center speaks to the power of Hispanic voters.

I know they've been trying to make inroads into the Latino community for a while now and again, because we're a swing state, because of the growth of the Latino community.

And in particular, the young people.

And so I think it's it's a testament to the power that the Latino community has.

Reporting from Milwaukee.

I'm Zac Schultz for "Here& Now".

What will turnout look like in this election?

like in this election?