Republicans' focus on Milwaukee shows Wisconsin will be a crucial state again in 2024

https://www.npr.org/2023/08/22/ [login to see] /republican-debate-milwaukee-wisconsin-politics
The Republican Party is shifting its attention this week to Milwaukee, a city that will host both the first GOP presidential primary debate on Wednesday and the party's nominating convention next summer.

Wisconsin is one of the most hotly contested states in the country, and the decision by Republicans to bookend their primary process there is a clear sign that the closely divided state will, again, be a major focus in 2024.

Scott Walker, a former Wisconsin governor and a former Republican presidential candidate, said Wisconsin is the very definition of a swing state.

"Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by about 23,000 votes," Walker said in an interview. "Four years later, it was even closer with about a 20,000-vote margin. So you're talking about a handful of voters across a state of about 6 million people making up the difference between who carries the 10 Electoral College votes and who doesn't."