Wisconsin primary: What Democrats, Republicans make of results
MILWAUKEE - Democrats claimed a victory after Wisconsin voters on Tuesday rejected a pair of constitutional amendment referendums, while Republicans said the defeat has nothing to do with the battle for the White House.
To date, Democrats have outpaced Republicans in fundraising, and their spending for Tuesday's primary elections was not even close. It was a quiz, so to speak, ahead of the finals in November – a preview battle in the war for Wisconsin's votes.
"Last night is a huge demonstration, it’s a big canary in the coalmine, I think, for people for how much money is coming in," said Brian Reisinger, a former Republican campaign strategist. "For anybody who was unhappy with last night’s result, it’s a really big warning sign about what to be ready for in the fall."
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Spending gap
Democrats urged "no" votes on the two referendums. WisPolitics reported groups who backed the "no" votes spent $3.5 million, while the Republican-supported "yes" vote groups were expected to have spent $250,000.
Partisan spending gap on 2024 August primary referendums (WisPolitics)
"The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is very organized. There’s a huge grassroots operation, there’s a well-funded media operation. They’re able to raise lots of money. They’re able to engage and excite voters," said Sachin Chheda, a Democratic strategist. "Democrats have stepped up to the plate in Wisconsin."
About 58% of Wisconsin voted "no," the state agreeing with Democrats' efforts to reject the referendums. But Republicans said don't read too much into the defeat.
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"The results of the referenda do not change the fundamentals of the race in Wisconsin one iota, not at all," said Brian Schimming, chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. "The referendum was not about the presidential race, it was not about the U.S. Senate race, it was not about the legislative races. It was about a referenda, and the Democrats freaked out after losing everything in April."
Brian Fraley, a Republican strategist, said the fundraising discrepancy between the two major parties is an ominous sign for Wisconsin Republicans.
"Wisconsin Democrats have raised tens of millions from out-of-state donors, in sums large and small. National Republicans in deep blue states have not invested in campaigns here," he said. "(The Republican Party of Wisconsin) must devote a lot more time and effort to fundraising here and across the country. It should be the party’s main focus.
"In an ideal world, the candidates and their staff do all the work on the ground. The party raises money and invests in infrastructure that helps all their candidates."
Voter turnout
More than 1.2 million voted in Wisconsin's primary elections on Tuesday – roughly 35% of the state's registered voters. The Associated Press said it was the state's highest turnout in a presidential election-year August primary since 1964.
"I think it’s really, really hard to take last night’s results and say: ‘We know what’s going to happen on the ground,’" Reisinger said.
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Live: Wisconsin primary election results August 2024
The polls are now closed and the August 2024 Wisconsin partisan primary election results are coming in.
Millions more are likely to vote in November.
While 58% said "no" to the Republican-backed referendums on Tuesday, the results were flipped in April. In that election, 58% voted to approve different GOP-supported constitutional amendments.
Republicans will note Donald Trump was on that April ballot, which serves as Wisconsin's partisan presidential primary. Democrats say, with new nominee Kamala Harris, momentum is on their side.