Democrats Fire Up Western Wisconsin Voters for November Election

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic candidate for governor, talks with La Crosse voter Margaret Wood during Democrats’ annual corn roast at the La Crosse Interstate Fair grounds on Sept. 2, 2026. Hope Kirwan/WPR

Polka music filled one of the buildings at the La Crosse Interstate Fair grounds last week, where people lined up for brats and roasted sweet corn, and stayed for a big helping of political stump speeches.

The annual corn roast event was first started by former U.S. Rep. Ron Kind’s campaign back in 2003. Now, it’s become a chance for Democrats to fire up their base in a part of the state seen as critical to winning the governor’s office and key races for the state Legislature.

“It just speaks to the camaraderie, it speaks to the spirit of the Democratic Party in western Wisconsin,” said Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley of the annual event. “I truly believe that if you’re running statewide for any race, there’s no way you can do it without stopping at the corn roast.”

Crowley and every other Democrat running for statewide office in November, along with two liberal hopefuls for next April’s Wisconsin Supreme Court race, spoke at Wednesday’s corn roast, which is now hosted by Democratic state Sen. Brad Pfaff of Onalaska.

The party leaders talked to voters about lowering grocery prices and making healthcare more affordable. And they urged residents to turn out their family and friends to vote.

“Everybody here, you have some of the most powerful ballots in the entire United States,” Ben Wikler, former chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, told the crowd Wednesday.

As evidence, Wikler pointed to what are sure to be some of the closest races in the state this November. Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s 3rd Congressional District is seen as one of only a handful of seats across the country that are up for grabs, with Democrat Rebecca Cooke again on the ballot after narrowly losing the 2024 race.

Democratic state Rep. Steve Doyle held onto his 94th Assembly District seat, covering parts of La Crosse and Trempealeau counties, by just a few hundred votes in the last election. His race against political newcomer and Army veteran Keith Purnell is once again considered a key race this fall.

Campaign signs for Democratic candidates line the front of the stage at western Wisconsin Democrats’ annual corn roast on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Hope Kirwan/WPR

Ryan Huebsch, who challenged Doyle in the 2024 election and is now vice chair of the 3rd Congressional District Republican Party, agrees the 94th and several other legislative districts throughout the region will likely be “majority-making” races this fall.

“Western Wisconsin, it has a long history of voting for the individual over the party, and 2026 is not going to be any exception to that,” Huebsch said. “So the economy, affordability, that’ll be the most important issue each family is going to be dealing with, as well as the security of our streets.”

President Donald Trump is not on the ballot this fall, but his name was mentioned frequently at Democrats’ corn roast.

The candidates worked to tie U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor, to Trump, whose approval rating has suffered since launching the war in Iran.

The latest Marquette Law School poll in August found 40 percent of surveyed registered voters approved of Trump, down from 44 percent at the start of the year.

Huebsch said Trump and other top Republicans “will always be” an important part of any race. But he thinks Democrats’ anti-Trump turnout strategy won’t carry as much weight among voters in the region.

Democrats fire up western Wisconsin voters as November election nears was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.