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Will Door County, Wisconsin Predict the Outcome of the 2024 Election? In many elections, presidents are accurately predicted
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Will Door County, Wisconsin Predict the Outcome of the 2024 Election? In many elections, presidents are accurately predicted

CHICAGO (WLS) – It only has ten highly coveted electoral votes, meaning Wisconsin has played a dominant role in at least the last two presidential elections.

But no county in the country has likely chosen more presidents, regardless of party, in recent memory than Door County.

Instead of focusing on the candidates themselves, local Democrats should stoke enthusiasm for the issues with a weekly “Loud and Proud” roadside appearance.

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“It's about showing voters that we all have the same concerns. Maybe we need to talk about how we can do this in a realistic way,” said John and Arnette Vincent, Door County Democrats.

The intensity of a razor-thin choice is heightened by the otherwise laid-back stretch of coastline and farmland. The scope, which is reflected in the neighbors' front gardens, is becoming increasingly limited here.

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Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 in part with 558 votes in Door County. President Joe Biden won the county back in 2020 by just 292 votes.

In a place as closely divided and politically engaged as Door County, particularly in the Sturgeon Bay region, signs of political markers on downtown storefronts are notably absent or at least rare.

“People want to get along with their neighbors, so they're not necessarily trying to stir up dust,” said business owner Mario Macheli.

Voters here can change with the (election) season.

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“I sometimes feel like we live in different worlds. I'm worried about the economy, but even things like the fact that the government in D.C. has gotten so big that it's just hard to hold anyone or anything accountable,” said Stephanie Soucek, chairwoman of the Door County Republicans .

Republicans say the message resonates in rural areas of the country, where every single undecided vote could potentially change the course of history.

“If I were to vote for one of the major parties, it would be Donald Trump,” said undecided voter and farmer Jacob VandenPlas. “I can’t say for sure.”

When Wisconsin held its presidential primary on April 2, Biden was still on the Democratic ticket, as were numerous Republican challengers.

In this primary, more Democrats in Door County voted for someone other than Biden and more Republicans voted for candidates other than Trump, compared to the margin either won in the last two elections there.

As a result, voters there from both parties are confident that Door County will continue its predictions.

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