WASHINGTON — Reince Priebus, the host committee chair for the Republican National Convention (RNC), offered rare praise for Wisconsin Democrats during a luncheon hosted by WisPolitics.com in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.
Recounting to an audience made up of mostly Wisconsinites, Priebus said their cooperation was invaluable in his successful bid to bring the event to Milwaukee next year.
“Mayor [Cavalier] Johnson was one of the main salesmen that made [the RNC] happen,” Priebus said. “And when the city council came in, and they voted 13-0 to agree to have the Republican convention in Milwaukee, I know for a fact… that moved the RNC a ton.”
Alex Lasry, a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), was a key part in Milwaukee’s winning campaign to host the Democrats’ convention in 2020. Even though COVID-19 forced the majority of the event to go virtual, he said he and his colleagues on the left have been helpful to Republicans in their bid because they share the same goal.
“The better time people have in Milwaukee, the better we can advocate for more revenue; the better we can advocate for the policies that we're putting forth to help grow the city,” he said.
Lasry mentioned the 2020 DNC was also a bipartisan collaboration. The economic impact the event could have on the city was part of the across-the-aisle pitch Democrats made to Republican executives.
"Companies that are maybe looking to invest in the city, or they're looking for their next big expansion, they can say, ‘Well, we actually went to Milwaukee for the DNC and RNC convention and we had a great time. This is probably a place where we want to invest our next headquarters, or we want to build our next factory, or this is where we want to invest some capital,’” Lasry said. “And I think on the nonpartisan side, that's what was so great about that and why you saw Democrats and Republicans all in favor of bringing the DNC, and this time the RNC, to the city.”
Their bipartisan agreement ended at the economic benefits for the Badger State. Priebus said strategically, hosting the party in 2024 could give Republicans the edge to flip a state known to swing in presidential elections.
“If you play your cards right in Milwaukee and in Wisconsin, the RNC can make a big difference,” Priebus said “I firmly believe it made a big difference in Cleveland. I think it made a difference in Tampa… But I think it's a matter of how do you do this job. You can fly in and fly out and whatever happens happens — raise your money nationally and get in and get out. That's not gonna make a difference. But if you play it right, you do the right thing, you promote the city, and you take to heart what the job is, I think it makes a huge difference.”
National Republicans are ramping up their presence in Wisconsin in an effort to make that difference. The party hosted its first presidential primary debate in Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum last month and first rolled out its nationwide “Bank Your Vote” early voting initiative in Wisconsin.
“This is going to come down to 20,000 people, persuasion, targeting and turnout,” Priebus said. “And the one thing for sure is true: No electoral math works for either party without Wisconsin.”
But Lasry said lessons learned from 2016 ensure Democrats are showing up to compete next year.
“It's why [Vice President] Kamala Harris has already been out there. It's why [President] Joe Biden's already been out there, [DNC chairman] Jamie Harrison, right?” he said. “We’re over more than a year out from the election and they're already all coming to Wisconsin to show that they care, that they've delivered for us and that if you give them four more years… they’re going to continue to give you that.”
Both Lasry and Priebus acknowledged Wisconsin is known to split a ticket, with neither party sweeping statewide contests. A scenario RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said she expects could happen next year with both the presidential race and a senate seat on the ballot.