Wisconsin's role in presidential race

WLUK TV

Updated: Jun 11, 2012 5:37 PM

GREEN BAY — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney plans to stop in Wisconsin next week as part of a five-day bus tour.

The Wisconsin visit will mark the first time Romney has been in the state since winning the primary in April. It comes less than two weeks after Republican Gov. Scott Walker won a recall election.

So what will Wisconsin's role be on the presidential election?

Riding on the coattails of a recall election victory, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker said on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday that Wisconsin's place in the November presidential election is up to swing voters in the state.

“Well, I think it’s up in the air. It’s definitely in play – six months ago I think the White House had it firmly in their column,” said Walker. “I think it is up in the air, but really very much left up not just to Republican or conservatives, but to the swing voters.”

According to a Marquette University Law School poll released in late May, President Barack Obama led the state over probable Republican presidential nominee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, 51 to 43 percent.

An earlier poll had the race tied at 46 percent.

Is Wisconsin in play?

"I think that (Democrats) were confident they could win (the state),” said St. Norbert College political science professor Charley Jacobs. “Maybe a little less-so now that they have to be a little more aggressive, they have to spend some more time and some more money and develop a message that is going to resonate with voters that you see going to the polls in Wisconsin."

In fact, the Obama campaign is already on the offensive.

An Obama campaign video released Monday blasts Governor Romney saying he wishes to cut firefighters, police and teachers.

FOX 11 tried to contact Romney's camp for comment on the video.

Our requests were not returned.

Jacobs says Democrats have been aware Wisconsin wouldn't be a slam dunk since the 2010 house and gubernatorial elections.

He says Romney's win in the presidential primary emphasizes that.

"He completed his run for the nomination for the GOP by coming here and squeezing Santorum out of the race,” said Jacobs. “It was also the last in a series of swing states, upper Midwestern states with lots of electoral college votes that he was able to capture."

Wisconsin has ten Electoral College votes up for grabs in November.

In a response to Governor Mitt Romney's plans to campaign in part of the state, the President's campaign released the following statement:

"The Chairman of the Republican National Committee called Wisconsin a blue state last week and Governor Walker called Romney the underdog here just in the last week. Romney's visit isn't going to change any of that..."

The tour is billed as a chance for Romney to meet with families and business owners in small towns across six states. The tour begins Friday in New Hampshire with other stops planned in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.

Romney's campaign announced the bus tour and the Wisconsin stop on June 18 but did not release the exact location or other details. Romney is scheduled to be in Iowa on the same day.

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