Campaigns change plans amid outbreak
They can't shake hands, can't kiss babies and most certainly can't hold rallies of any kind.
For politicians asking for votes in Wisconsin amid a pandemic, the rules have dramatically changed.
Candidates and political parties are venturing into the electoral unknown, with less than three weeks to go before the April 7 spring election. Early in-person absentee voting started Monday in Milwaukee.
Not only that, Wisconsin is expected to be a major battleground state in the presidential campaign, with the Democratic National Convention scheduled for Milwaukee July 13-16.
Pointing to the long lead time, event organizers have said the convention will go forward.
But for now, campaigning has come to a screeching halt.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence postponed scheduled campaign appearances in the state.
Campaign plans for Democrats Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders remain in flux. In recent days, they have been off the campaign trail.
Everyone is adapting on the fly. Elbow bumps have replaced shaking hands. And canvassing at the doors has given way to virtual campaigning.
“I think we'll just adjust to the elbow thing,” said Democratic state Sen. Chris Larson, who is running for Milwaukee County executive against Democratic state Rep. David Crowley.
On Monday, Larson's campaign said all in-person events and face-toface field operations were immediately suspended. All campaign staff will
also work remotely.
And on Tuesday, two debates between the county executive contenders were canceled.
More and more, it looks like the raucous election night party will be scratched.
“That’s what we’re considering. We may have a virtual party,” Larson said.
Crowley, who has also stopped inperson events, said he is making sure to wash his hands after every interaction and is also perfecting the elbow bump.
“We’re just making sure to be very cautious and making sure that we’re not going door to door,” he said.
To keep in contact with voters, Crowley said he’s working the phones.
Whoever wins the race, Crowley said the coronavirus outbreak will be among the top challenges facing the next Milwaukee County executive.
The state parties are also having to adjust their plans as they harness volunteers and try to get voters to the polls. The parties and election officials are pushing absentee voting, and absentee ballot requests have surged.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin postponed its showpiece event, the April 4 Founders Day dinner, which normally attracts top national candidates in a presidential election year.
The party said other in-person gatherings will be postponed or moved online as it goes to “all-virtual organizing.”
Knocking on doors is out. Texting and calling on the phone are in.
“I think we’re going to be able to reach voters in every corner of the state,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Wier, who cut his political teeth as a digital organizer.
“New technology has emerged to reach voters through means other than their doorsteps,” he said. “It’s also the case that knocking on doors is likely to be less effective in an environment where (people) are afraid of germs. This is a vital health precaution and also a practical political consideration.”
The Republican Party of Wisconsin said it is “monitoring the situation closely.”
Several Lincoln Day dinners have been postponed in a few counties, the GOP said.
Brian Reisinger, a Republican operative, said: “Something that is developing is how you adjust your voter contact program, especially as we get into the closing weeks of spring elections.”
He said campaigns will step up contacting voters via phone and social media, as well as virtual events.
“There will be a premium on that compared to door knocking,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the special election in the 7th Congressional District in northern Wisconsin, Democrat Tricia Zunker has postponed public campaign events for the next two weeks. She will hold virtual events and will meet with small groups of medical professionals, according to a statement from her campaign.
Republican state Sen. Tom Tiffany, her opponent, said in a statement that his campaign is monitoring the situation and urges Wisconsinites to be vigilant. His staff is working remotely. The candidates, seeking to replace Sean Duffy, who retired, may have extra time to make up for lost ground. That special election isn’t until May 12.
The outbreak has dramatically reshaped the race for the state Supreme Court. Incumbent Justice Dan Kelly and challenger Jill Karofsky had spent months charging across the state, meeting with voters and engaging in forums.
But last week, it all came to a halt. Karofsky has canceled fundraisers and other in-person events over the next two weeks, campaign manager Tyler Hendricks said. She’s shifting to holding events through Facebook Live and Zoom conferences, he said.
“We’re all doing our part to flatten the curve and slow the spread of this virus,” he said.
The campaign is using calls and texts to contact voters — and asking them in many cases to vote early or vote by mail.
Kelly has also been off the trail with several cancellations. How other campaign activities will be handled is still being figured out, campaign manager Charles Nichols said.
“We need to find different ways to reach voters but I can’t say to what extent that’s going to be,” he said.
Like Karofsky, Kelly is ramping up efforts to encourage supporters to vote early or vote by mail.
Both campaigns said keeping their staffs, volunteers and the general public safe is their top priority.