During the election day with the leaders of the local elections

With Election Day just over the horizon, candidates and campaigns are making last-ditch efforts to get people to the polls.

“Everyone is fueled right now by a mixture of adrenaline, caffeine, anxiety, hope. This is the last, last, last moment here. And somehow people want it to end. But on the other hand, there are still more voters to go,” said Adam Wikler.

Wikler was elected chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in 2019, making the 2024 presidential election his second in charge of the swing state.

But it’s not just campaign officials making the effort to advocate.

“There are literally thousands of people every day knocking on the doors of hundreds of thousands of voters in the state of Wisconsin and making millions of phone calls lately,” Wikler said.

And for candidates, the final hours of their race can be a moment for reflection.

“Candidates are usually so busy that they don’t have time to be stressed. And they have last minute things and they think about things that they should have done, could have done, would have done. But they ran out of time. And yet they see the finish line tomorrow as the end of the race,” said Jim Stauber, Republican political analyst and Republican for Life.

Stauber knows all too well the work that goes into building a candidate campaign.

“In the last two days, it’s a good chance to thank the closest supporters of the inner circle. You can do it a little bit on Tuesday, of course. But on Wednesday, it’s too late. You have to thank them today or tomorrow for all the work they’ve done. And you kind of cheer at that point for the rest of your campaign to keep their spirits up,” Stauber said.

This election is the first for many candidates. For Minnesota House District 3B candidate Mark Munger, his first election on the ballot taught him a lot.

“I think it’s extremely rewarding. It taps into parts of your psyche and your spirit and your soul that you didn’t even know were there to be tapped. I will say that, you know, I’m an old turtle. My shell is pretty thick, right? I can handle a lot,” Munger said.

In this 2024 general election, WDIO is once again offering free television airtime to candidates in federal, state and regional races in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Candidates can take up to two minutes to speak directly to you to help you make an informed decision on Election Day.
We have offered free airtime to every participating candidate and if they are not shown, they have chosen not to use this platform.

For more information on local candidates in the 2024 election, go to Election Free Air Time – WDIO.com