>> IF WISCONSIN IS CONSIDERED A
CRITICAL BATTLEGROUND IN
NOVEMBER, HOW CENTRAL IS THE
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PART OF THE
STATE TOWARD SWINGING THE
ELECTION?
PRESIDENT TRUMP CARRIED THE 7TH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WHICH
ENCOMPASSES NORTHERN WISCONSIN,
BY 20 POINTS IN 2016, WHILE
WINNING THE STATE BY A
RAZOR-THIN ONE PERCENTAGE POINT.
THE SLIGHTEST SWING COULD
MATTER.
WE ARE JOINED NOW BY SOMEONE WHO
KNOWS THE 7TH DISTRICT VERY
WELL.
KEVIN HERMENING IS THE FORMER
MARATHON COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY
CHAIR.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR REGION
TO THE OUTCOME OF THIS
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, IN YOUR
MIND?
>> I THINK THE 1% EQUATED TO
ABOUT 52,000 VOTES.
THAT WAS STATEWIDE IN 2016.
MARATHON COUNTY, RIGHT IN THE
HEART OF THE 7TH DISTRICT
POPULATION-WISE, ACCOUNTED FOR
26,000, OR HALF OF THAT
DIFFERENT REN CHEL FOR
DIFFERENTIAL FOR THE PRESIDENT.
IT APPEARS AS I LOOK AT YARD
SIGNS AND APPARENT ENTHUSIASM,
NOT THAT THE DEMOCRATS AREN'T
ENTHUSIASTIC, BUT THE YARD
SIGNS, THE APPEARANCES ON BEHALF
OF THE CANDIDATES AND OTHERS
HAVE CERTAINLY INDICATED TO ME
THAT IT'S LIKELY TO RESULT IN
ANOTHER BIG WIN FOR THE
PRESIDENT HERE IN THE CENTRAL
WISCONSIN AREA.
>> AS TO THAT RAZOR-THIN MARGIN,
I WANT TO SAY IT WAS EVEN LESS
THAN THAT, SOMETHING LESS THAN
23,000.
SO HENCE OUR BATTLEGROUND
STATUS.
>> YES.
>> YOU HAVE SAID THAT THERE IS
NO WAY JOE BIDEN WINS WHERE YOU
ARE.
BUT WHAT IF HE EVEN NIPS INTO
THE REPUBLICAN NUMBERS THERE?
>> WELL, THAT'S A GREAT
QUESTION, AND ACTUALLY YOU MAKE
AN EXCELLENT POINT, BECAUSE IF
THE DEMOCRATS ARE ABLE TO
INCREASE THEIR NUMBERS IN OTHER
PARTS OF THE STATE, IT MEANS
THAT MAIR MARATHON COUNTY IS GOING TO
HAVE TO HOLD ITS OWN FROM LAST
TIME AND PERHAPS EVEN BOOST THE
NUMBERS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT FORMER
CONGRESSMAN SEAN DUFFY WAS VERY
WELL-VERSED ON AND PLAYED A BIG
ROLL ON AND CONGRESSMAN TIFFANY
UNDERSTANDS THAT AS WELL.
THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING SO MUCH
ATTENTION BEING PAID HERE.
THAT'S WHY THERE IS A LOCAL AND
IN SOME AREAS THERE ARE TRUMP
HEADQUARTERS AND STAFFERS TRYING
TO TURN OUT THE VOTE AND
IDENTIFY THOSE CRITICAL
UNDECIDED VOTERS.
THEYTHEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE REALLY
GOING TO DECIDE.
>> NOW, YOU RAN FOR OFFICE
BEFORE IN THAT AREA.
HOW HAS THAT DISICT DISTRICT CHANGED SO
VASTLY OVER THESE YEARS?
>> IT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE
1980s WHEN I RAN FOR CONGRESS
AGAINST CONGRESSMAN DAVE OBEY.
THE REASON IS THAT THE
POPULATION HAS SHIFTED.
THE POPULATION AS GOTTEN OLDER.
WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF
MANUFACTURING JOBS LEAVE THE
AREA OVER THE LAST 35 TO ALMOST
40 YEARS NOW.
PERHAPS MOST CRITICALLY OF ALL,
REDISTRICTING HAS PLAYED A BIG
ROLE IN WHY THE 7TH DISTRICT
REMAINS SO REPUBLICAN.
THAT'S OUR GOAL ON BEHALF OF THE
PRESIDENT.
>> THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
SHOWED JOE BIDEN EMPATHETIC,
WHICH THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION
ALSO SOUGHT TO PORTRAY IN DONALD
TRUMP.
IN YOUR MIND, IS THAT THE
DEFINING CHARACTER FOR THE NEXT
PRESIDENT IN THESE UNCERTAIN AND
TUMULTUOUS TIMES?
>> WELL, I'M NOT HEARING A LOT
ABOUT THAT AS AN IMPORTANT OR
CRITICAL ISSUE, AT LEAST ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE.
THE DEMOCRATS PERHAPS ARE
GRASPING AT WHATEVER
OPPORTUNITIES THEY CAN TO PAINT
THE PRESIDENT AS NOT BEING
PARTICULARLY EMPATHETIC.
BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT A RETURN
TO THE STRONG ECONOMY EARLIER
THIS YEAR THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD
PRESIDED OVER PLAYED A BIG ROLE
IN THAT, AS WELL AS WHETHER OR
NOT WE CAN REMAIN A STRONG
PRESENCE ON THE WORLD STAGE.
>> KEVIN