After months of negotiations, Milwaukee has been selected to host the 2020 Democratic National Committee Convention, edging out the other two finalist cities, Miami and Houston. Even though Milwaukee is substantially smaller than Miami and Houston, Wisconsin has long been an important swing state for Presidential elections. In fact, Wisconsin residents have voted for the winning candidate in 11 of the 14 Presidential elections since 1964.
Certainly, Wisconsin solidified its political importance in the 2016 election when it backed Republican nominee Donald Trump, despite projections giving Hillary Clinton over an 80% chance of winning Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes. Without question, the selection of Milwaukee for the 2020 DNC Convention is a strategic effort to better connect with swing voters in areas that have been hurt economically by the fall of the manufacturing industry and recent economic struggles. These same voters, who helped to elect Tony Evers over incumbent Scott Walker in November of 2018, will be greatly influential in determining whether President Trump will earn a second term.
Evers has been quick to embrace the challenge of hosting the DNC Convention, explaining “The convention represents a tremendous opportunity for Milwaukee and Wisconsin to be on the world stage… This is the chance to show the world what Wisconsin truly is: a great place to live, work, and visit.” Across the aisle, Senator Ron Johnson has also acknowledged the benefits, stating “I’m glad Milwaukee will get the economic boost.”
Wisconsin’s recent $4.5 billion deal with Foxconn, to open a new factory in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin will likely be just one of the many contentious topics discussed throughout the campaign cycle that establish Wisconsin as a crucial battleground state. This topic is not only relevant to Democrats, but also pertains to Republicans, who will be hosting its Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
As a Wisconsin company, we plan to leverage the 2020 Convention in Milwaukee to help promote our mission at Goods Unite Us: to end corporate political donations by bringing more transparency around corporate money in politics. By creating more awareness about corporate contributions, consumers like yourself are now empowered to vote not only at the polls but also with your wallets!