Although enthusiasm is high among many Chicago-area voters, the presidential election could play out in several key states, including neighboring Wisconsin.
Wisconsin is accustomed to being in the political spotlight, attracting numerous visits from both Democratic and Republican lists in this year’s elections, and Kenosha County is a microcosm of this closely divided state.
“It’s overwhelming…ads, phone calls, text messages, signs,” business owner Lyna Postuchow told NBC 5 News. “They spend a lot of time in Wisconsin, which, you know what, shows us we’re important.”
Postuchow owns A Summer’s Garden Florist and Gifts in downtown Kenosha. She took advantage of voting early and recognizes how divided her community is.
“There are a lot of angry people, a lot of people worried, everyone is holding their breath, we don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said. “I hope everything goes well, there is a lot of hope. We simply have to do better.
Former President Donald Trump won Kenosha County in each of the last two elections, and some residents hope he does so again.
“It was much better under Trump than it is today,” Lori Slugocki said. “I go to the grocery store, I go stock up, I’m a single woman, I live alone, I take care of myself. I’m retirement age but I still have to work.”
In 2020, Kenosha County voted 50.71% for Trump and 47.57% for Biden, according to election data. The 2016 race was even closer, with Trump triumphing by just 255 votes over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, out of nearly 78,000 votes cast.
For some, it’s about border security and the cost of everyday goods, while others want more unity. Ultimately, the turnout will be telling.
“Kenosha will go to vote, they will be out,” resident Tom Rizzo said. “Kenosha is really divided, kind of like the Bears and the Packers.”
In-person early voting in Wisconsin has already broken records with 950,000 votes and 645,000 absentee ballots requested.
