the Republican National Convention happening this summer
in Milwaukee, the party's state convention is happening this
weekend in Appleton. The chair of the Wisconsin Republican
Party says, in this battleground of all battleground states,
they're ready and able to win up and down the ballot. The
Wisconsin GOP chair joins us ahead of the state convention.
Bryan Schimming, thanks very much for being here.
>> So great to be here. Thanks for having me.
>> So we know Wisconsin is important, but just how
important is Wisconsin this election?
>> The truth of the matter is in Wisconsin, in the last 24 years,
we've had 12 statewide races. We're about 6 million people,
right? We've had 12 races in the last 25 years that were decided
by 30,000 votes or less. So I'm certainly feeling the attention
of nationally, and I like that. It's good for us. And frankly,
as you know, it's why the Republican National Convention
is coming to Milwaukee. >> What's at stake up and down
the ballot here? >> Just about everything. It's
interesting, I was saying the other day that, you know, here
we are, Wisconsin. Remember, we used to be called flyover
country. Remember those years? And now we're kind of fly in
country. But there's a reason we have a close presidential race.
I think by anybody's telling, it's a close race here in
Wisconsin. We have a close us Senate race, which six months
ago people wouldn't have guessed. But that we instantly
had a close US Senate race to target House races. Obviously,
both houses of the legislature. So Wisconsin, almost more than
usual is really a focus of national attention. And we feel
it at the state party, too. >> You were just talking with me
about money. Will Republicans in Wisconsin start to see the
spigot flow? >> Yeah, I mean, we're feeling
it already in terms of the support nationally. We, the
great thing for us, with the new leadership of the Republican
National Committee, Mike Wadley, they are completely focused on
not just us, of course, but other target states as well. So
we just hired a new political director this week. We're
hiring, hiring additional field staff. We're actually one of the
more built out states in the country already on field staff
opening local offices. So yeah, I mean, we'll have the resources
we need, which voters other than all of them.
>> Will Republicans be specific kind of targeting the
president's hurting with a lot of his base groups, young, young
people, very, very close between he and President Trump,
Hispanics as well. >> Biden is not doing nearly as
well as he did with women when he first ran. So as you look at
those different groups, there are plenty of opportunity for
Republicans. But as I say to Republicans around the state,
you have to go get those voters. You can't count on them not
being unhappy with the incumbent or whatever, but they are very,
very unhappy with the incumbent. >> Speaking of voters, you have
been pushing early voting for months, which is a total sea
change for Republicans. Yeah but the Republican Party of
Wisconsin also officially opposed the use of ballot drop
boxes in a case before the state Supreme Court. Right now, I
understand you are in support of those. What's the actual deal
here? because we feel as though there
are that possibly is a subject for some fraud. But almost more
importantly, here we are just a couple of months before the
election again, and the state Supreme Court is acting like a
second legislature and going in and changing campaign laws.
Frankly, I don't think the drop box issue will be the last one
we see from this Supreme Court. So I think there's a legitimate
issue, and I get this from clerks around the state that
they don't want all these changes, you know, to the law
made in the run up to the election. But yeah, we've
opposed drop boxes. But to your point, I say to Republicans
across the state, I was the first state chairman in the
country to push early vote. And whether it's drop boxes or other
potential changes, I have to deal with the laws as they are,
and I'm going to. >> Now, you say that was
concerned Republican voters are all in on on Donald Trump. Does
that suggest that Republicans have forgiven and forgotten
January 6th and all that happened before and after?
>> Yeah, I don't know. It's a matter of, you know, all those
things that there goofing around with in the courts. It's not a
matter of forgiving or anything. You know what's interesting
about this race? It's not the typical incumbent challenger
race, right? It's essentially a race between two incumbencies.
And what we see in the polling is that people now know they
didn't know four years ago. Now they know what they were going
to get with Joe Biden, which has been high inflation, high
interest rates, bad GDP numbers. Now they know what they're
getting between the two. And that's working for President
Trump. >> As to Wisconsin's key Senate
race, other Republicans on our air have said that it would be
very, very tough to beat Democratic incumbent Tammy
Baldwin. You obviously don't think that I don't.
>> I mean, Tammy Baldwin's numbers collapsed immediately
after she got a tough opponent in the race, and that has turned
that into one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races in
the country. Even 4 or 5 months ago, people were saying, Tammy's
too tough to beat. The polling doesn't show that. And that
she's a 95% voter with Joe Biden .
new maps will change the legislature there?
>> Yeah, it's I think it's hard to tell. I think the Senate
seems like it's in a little better position. Senate
position or in an okay position. The Assembly, I think, is more
competitive. And as you know, I've done a lot of Assembly
races around the state. So I'm familiar with the Assembly. But
I, the Democrats, I feel as though we'll keep both. And the
Democrats are going to have to find another excuse for losing,
because I think we will be victorious in both houses. And I
know the state very, very well. And while you're right, I think
the numbers will change, does it automatically flip houses? I
don't think so. >> We will watch in this pivotal
election year, what is it like for Republicans to be hosting
the national convention in Milwaukee?
homer, so I'm all about having the convention in Milwaukee. In
fact, when I was doing radio in Milwaukee, when the Democrats
announced in Milwaukee I was I was even happy about that
because I want it to be good for Milwaukee and for the whole
state. The Republican convention will be, too. I'm excited,
obviously, state chairman to be hosting the national convention,
but it's money. About $200 million spend is 50,000 people
coming to the state. But even more just, you know, for the
Wisconsin economy, it's just the country, the whole
world will be watching Wisconsin and for Republicans, it's a way
to pull our message together in front of a national audience
with a five day show that I think is just going to be great