Local parties react to primary

WLUK TV

Updated: Apr 4, 2012 10:30 AM

For members of the Winnebago County Republican Party, it was a change of pace to have a presidential primary that mattered in Wisconsin.

“It's kind of what I expected,” said Michael Schrah of Oshkosh. “I figured that (Rick) Santorum probably didn't have enough strength to win Wisconsin.

Area Republicans say it is time to rally behind Mitt Romney. They say his Wisconsin win makes it more inevitable he will win the party's nomination.

“There's a lot of Santorum supporters here, Romney supporters, Gingrich supporters, Paul supporters,” said Winnebago County Republican Party Chair John Petek. “We'll all come together in the end to defeat President Obama.”

Brown County Democrats also gathered to watch the election results.

“It doesn't matter really who the Republican nominee is for the Republican Party because I think President Obama is very well-suited to take Wisconsin and win the election in 2012,” said party chair Mary Ginnebaugh.

In Wisconsin, Democrats have reason for optimism. Their candidate has won Wisconsin in every presidential election since 1988.

“I think President Obama will take Wisconsin that's because he relates very well to the people of Wisconsin,” Ginnebaugh said. “You have to remember that Mitt Romney only relates to people that have Cadillacs and three houses and owns baseball teams and clubs.”

“Every day it seems like that President Obama does another thing that just helps Mitt Romney's cause,” Petek said.

Even with the picture becoming clearer for the fall presidential matchup, members from both sides say they have other political races to keep them busy in the meantime.

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