This Is How Democrats Win in Wisconsin
The Democratic Party\u2019s rallying around Kamala Harris \u2014 the speed of it, the intensity, the joyfulness, the memes \u2014 has been head-spinning. Just a few weeks ago, she was widely seen in the party as a weak candidate and a risk to put on the top of the ticket. And while a lot of those concerns have dissipated, there\u2019s one that still haunts a lot of Democrats: Can Harris win in Wisconsin?\n\nDemocrats are still traumatized by Hillary Clinton\u2019s loss in Wisconsin in 2016. It is a must-win state for both parties this year. And while Democrats have been on a fair winning streak in the state, they lost a Senate race there in 2022 \u2014 a race with some striking parallels to this election \u2014 which has made some Democrats uneasy.\n\nBut Ben Wikler is unfazed. He\u2019s chaired the Wisconsin Democratic Party since 2019 and knows what it takes for Democrats to win \u2014 and lose \u2014 in his state. In this conversation, he tells me what he learned from that loss two years ago, why he thinks Harris\u2019s political profile will appeal to Wisconsin\u2019s swing voters and how Trump\u2019s selection of JD Vance as his running mate has changed the dynamics of the race in his state.\n\nMentioned:\n\n\u201cThe Democratic Party Is Having an \u2018Identity Crisis\u2019\u201d by Ezra Klein\n\nWeekend Reading by Michael Podhorzer\n\nBook Recommendations:\n\nThe Reasoning Voter by Samuel L. Popkin\n\nFinding Freedom by Ruby West Jackson and Walter T. McDonald\n\nThe Princess Bride by William Goldman\n\nThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.\n\nYou can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of \u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\u201d at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.\n\nThis episode of \u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\u201d was produced by Rollin Hu. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair. Mixing by Isaac Jones. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show\u2019s production team also includes Annie Galvin, Elias Isquith, Kristin Lin and Aman Sahota. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Sonia Herrero.