De Blasio rallies Clinton volunteers in Milwaukee
Wisconsin will play a critical role in the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told volunteers for Hillary Clinton's campaign at a canvassing kickoff event on Milwaukee's south side Sunday.
"You've got something we (New Yorkers) don't have," de Blasio told the crowd of about 50 people gathered at a storefront campaign office on Historic W. Mitchell St.
"The future of this country hangs in the balance, and this is one of the places it's going to be decided."
The New York mayor and his wife, Chirlane McCray, attended two church services before hosting separate kickoff events for Milwaukee canvassers Sunday.
De Blasio worked as Clinton's first campaign manager when she ran for the U.S. Senate and spoke of his personal experiences working with her. He said she brings a unique perspective as a mother and a longtime advocate for the poor and marginalized.
Pence heads to Waukesha in advance of Trump
"She understands families and what working people are going through in a way that no other nominee has," he said.
De Blasio urged canvassers not to leave any door without a knock.
"I want you to feel the urgency that I feel because you are up at the front line of this entire country," de Blasio said. "It comes down to a few days now. It comes down to an amazingly small number of people in the scheme of things who will either decide to show up or not. It comes down to the entire country looking at you to see what will happen."
De Blasio said he and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who also attended the event, face many of the same issues in their cities, including income inequality, the lack of affordable housing and strained relationships between police and minority communities.
"The difference is you get to do the things here that will decide whether we can succeed or not," de Blasio said. "You get to decide for New York City and Philadelphia and Houston — and all sorts of cities around the country, in addition to all the cities in Wisconsin — whether we're going to have a federal government on our side or not."
De Blasio is one of a handful of campaign surrogates — politicians and celebrities tapped to tout the candidates — who are stumping for Clinton in Wisconsin this week. Anne Holton, former Virginia Secretary of Education and wife of Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine, will be in the state Thursday to promote voter registration. And Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, is scheduled to campaign in the Green Bay area.
"For any presidential campaign, surrogates play an important role because they add to the enthusiasm and remind everyone of the importance of voting," Barrett said. "I think we're definitely going to see an increase in surrogates over the next six weeks just because of the tight race."
The Trump campaign issued a statement Sunday in response to de Blasio's visit, saying "the Democratic Party has negatively affected" communities like Milwaukee. "Donald Trump is the only candidate that is offering real solutions to the unanswered problems low-income communities have faced in their streets, schools and communities," it said.
The Trump campaign also is doubling down in Wisconsin this week, sending in vice presidential candidate and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence for a rally at Weldall Manufacturing in Waukesha on Tuesday — a day before Trump is scheduled to speak at the Waukesha County Expo Center.
Last week's Marquette University Law School poll shows Clinton leading Trump 44% to 42% among likely Wisconsin voters, the closest the race has been in the state. Four weeks ago, Clinton held a 5 percentage-point lead over Trump among registered voters and a 3-point lead among likely voters.