WAUKESHA, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — The so-called 'WOW' counties are often credited as heavy influencers on statewide elections in Wisconsin. Those are Washington, Ozaukee, and Waukesha Counties.

The suburban Milwaukee counties are again in the spotlight as both presidential candidates try to maximize votes there.

The counties historically have not only voted Republican but overwhelmingly did so. However, according to UW-Madison political scientists and director of the Elections Research Center Barry Burden, it's become a smaller majority of votes since Trump was elected.

“I think that reflects national trends we've seen where more educated suburban voters are I think more hesitant about Donald Trump as the leader of the party,” Burden said.

Burden said the wow counties need to vote about 2-1 for Republican candidates to counteract democratic strongholds of Milwaukee and Dane Counties.

The 'WOW' counties didn't hit that margin in the last statewide race back in April when conservative Justice Daniel Kelly lost his state supreme court seat to liberal challenger Jill Karovsky. Burden said trump is in jeopardy of not hitting that number either.

Spectrum News Wisconsin asked voters at the river walk in the city of Waukesha on Tuesday about the election. In more than an hour of asking passers-by, four people agreed to do interviews. Half said they were voting for Democratic nominee Joe Biden, half said they were voting for President and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

“I've been voting Republican my entire life,” said Jeff Flaschberger, a Waukesha resident. “Voted for Trump in 2016 thinking he could change things and thinking the Republicans in Congress could keep him in line, but it's just been a total disaster and I'm 150 percent for Biden all the way.”

Flaschberger said he's lost his confidence in Republican leadership for not challenging Trump over the past four years. He still likes Republican ideals but said he would have to see new Republican candidates to vote for the party again in the future.

“There just has to be a change I don't think the country can afford another four years of the lies and the mismanagement and ruining our relations both domestically and internationally,” Flashberger said.

Some voters we spoke to voted for Trump in 2016 and will do so again this year.

“I absolutely love what Trump has done for this country,” said Marci White, a Waukesha resident. “I think he made promises and he kept them.”

White said she likes Trump's dealings with China and along the U.S.'s southern border. She is worried about the idea of defunding police. White also said she credits Trump for payments to people during pandemic caused economic hardship.

“The President didn't bail out the big businesses, he gave money to the people, my family got checks and it really helped us out,” White said.

Both candidates are looking to pick up votes in suburban areas, particularly with women in those areas according to Burden.

“There's a massive gender gap where trump is running really poorly among women and especially college-educated women,” Burden said.

Burden said Trump's handling of the pandemic and race issues haven't played well in suburban opinions. In contrast, Biden is trying to sell himself as a steadying voice according to Burden.

Trump unperformed in the WOW counties from a historical perspective, but still easily won them. He offset those changes by winning rural votes by a large margin, but Burden said those rural votes may not be there for him in the same way in 2016.

“If the suburbs are not there for him, even in the way they were four years ago, it's going to be very challenging for him to win Wisconsin,” Burden said.

Waukesha resident Cheryl Touchstone says she and her family will be out voting for Trump in November, but she's worried what her neighbors will do.

“I'm concerned, with this county especially, that if they're taking up the torch enough, I'm going to hit the polls personally,” Touchstone said.

Touchstone voted for Trump in 2016. She said she likes how he's maneuvered the past few years and months given all of the issues the country has faced.

“I think he's actually been very good for the job,” Touchstone said. “I don't think he's a perfect person by any means, but I think he's got what it takes to really take this country and to make it what it needs to be.”

However, not every woman voter in Waukesha will be voting for Trump, at least not Wusan Schuenemann.

“I'm a democrat and I'm all for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Schuenemann said. “I think he picked a fantastic running mate, and I pray to God they win.”

Regardless of where people live, Schuenemann said she hopes people will vote.

“It's so so important to vote,” she said. “Please everybody vote, this is going to be the most important election you've ever experienced in a lifetime.”