Wisconsin was a relatively red state from the 1940s to 1984 but voted blue from 1988 to 2012, with extremely tight races occurring in 2000 and 2004. Then-candidate Donald Trump won the state by 0.7 points in 2016, taking the state’s 10 electoral votes. The Badger State turned blue again in 2020, when now-President Joe Biden narrowly won.
The Washington Examiner is following the key issues voters care about as they prepare to vote for the next president of the United States. The specific issues being tracked are Social Security, crime, abortion, the economy, and immigration.
The issues were chosen with the help of the Associated Press issues tracker. The Washington Examiner subsequently compared five of the key issues in Google Trends on a state-by-state basis, revealing which are most important to voters in swing contests.
Here, you can track how important these various concerns are to Wisconsin voters on a rolling 30-day basis.
Social Security
Social Security ranked as the most important issue to Wisconsin voters. Wisconsin also happens to be a state with a special relationship with the Social Security Administration. The Wisconsin system, developed in 1932, was the starting point for the federal unemployment program and became a part of the Social Security Act of 1935.
In August 2024, the state released guidelines to handle escalating cases with the SSA better, encouraging its residents to form relationships with the local offices and come prepared with all documents and information necessary to file queries or request records. Social Security income is not taxed in Wisconsin.
In 2022, the Wisconsin Examiner reported on Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-WI) comments suggesting moving Social Security insurance into the federal government’s budget. The outlet wrote that it would cause Congress to approve Social Security spending, as well as automatic cost-of-living increases. Rather than save the program, this change would set the program up for significant cuts.
Crime
Crime was the No. 2 issue for Wisconsin voters. Violent crime is low, and the Badger State is ranked 43rd in the nation for property crime rates, according to Safe Home. For every 100,000 residents, there were 1,385 property crimes reported, 29% lower than the national average.
However, in May 2024, Milwaukee was ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Even with murders decreasing by 21% from 2022 to 2023, the state’s homicide rate is high, with 172 homicides being reported in 2023, according to the Milwaukee Police Department. In that same year, there were 485 rapes reported, 6,907 aggravated assaults, and 837 nonfatal shootings.
Gun problems consistently rank as vital to Wisconsin voters. In May 2024, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that 59% of poll participants rated gun violence as an extremely big problem in the state. The cause of 71% of gun deaths in the state is suicide, and nine of the 10 counties with the highest gun violence rates are rural.
Abortion
Abortion was the third-ranked issue in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Legislative Council states abortions past 20 weeks gestation are prohibited except to save the mother’s life. The procedure requires that a minor provide a parent or guardian’s consent and that an adult provides his or her own written consent, an initial appointment with an ultrasound, and a mandatory 24-hour waiting period.
In cases of sexual assault, the waiting period is waived, as well as the preliminary ultrasound appointment. Informed consent stands for both incest and sexual assault, but the waiting time won’t always be reduced for incest cases, and ultrasound appointments are still required. Mailed abortion medication is prohibited, but medication abortion can be provided in person.
Economy
Economic worries came in fourth for voters in the Badger State, where the unemployment rate consistently trends below the national average, according to the Bureaus of Labor Statistics and Economic Analysis. The state’s unemployment rate as of November 2023 was 3.3%. However, its economy hasn’t seen significant growth since the pandemic, retaining a consistent rate since 2020.
GDP growth was 5%, bouncing up from a decrease the previous year. The GDP has stayed within the same range over the last four years, coming in at $414.4 billion in goods and services in 2023. It ranks the state 18th in the nation for economic growth.
Manufacturing in Wisconsin grew 6.3% and had the highest GDP levels in the state, with $69.01 billion. Real estate saw 1.5% growth and had a GDP of $47.11 billion. Educational services also saw 1.2% improvement. The most successful industry was retail trade, growing 23% last year, amounting to a GDP of $26.63 billion.
Wisconsin contributes 1.5% to the national economy, placing it 22nd in the country. Wisconsin’s share of the country’s economic growth has slowly declined since 2018.
Immigration
Immigration came in fifth for voter concerns. In Wisconsin, the immigrant population isn’t very high, coming in at only 4.9%, according to the American Immigration Council. Of those immigrants, 46.6% are naturalized, 47,000 are eligible for naturalization, and 25.7% are undocumented.
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Wisconsin’s labor force is 5.9% immigrant-based, and 5% of the state’s entrepreneurs are immigrants. Immigrant-owned businesses saw a total business income of $518.8 million in 2022. Immigrants paid $3 billion in taxes and had a spending power of $8.3 billion.
The top countries of origin for Wisconsin immigrants are Mexico, India, China, Germany, and the Philippines. Immigrants make up 9.5% of STEM jobs in the state and 11% of the agriculture industry. There are 13,650 international students in Wisconsin, and their economic contribution is $486.2 million.