MILWAUKEE — Like the candidates, the city of Milwuaukee is preparing for its night in the spotlight on Wednesday.
The first GOP debate is being hosted downtown at the 18,000-seat Fiserv Forum, home of the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. It'll be filled with eight candidates hoping to be crowned champions in their own right, though the front-runner, former President Donald Trump, is skipping the proceedings.
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Roads were already being blocked off around the arena Tuesday afternoon in anticipation of the debate, which is the first of the 2024 presidential election cycle and the first since the crucial Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision threw abortion policy back to the states.
The eight candidates who cleared requirements and plan to attend — Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) — will hope to separate themselves from the pack with a strong performance, and abortion policy is likely to be one of the major topics brought up by the moderators.
Trump holds a massive polling edge that has only expanded in recent days with a more than 41-point lead over second-place DeSantis. Even in absentia, Trump's presence was felt in Milwaukee as groups of supporters prowled around Fiserv Forum with Trump signs the day before the debate.
They were reluctant to be interviewed but did offer a few anecdotes when approached by the Washington Examiner.
"No, [I'm not disappointed he won't be here]," one said. "We're just here to support Trump. We love Donald Trump."
Wisconsin has emerged as a crucial swing state in recent elections, though the city of Milwaukee remains a blue stronghold. President Joe Biden won 69% of Milwaukee County voters in 2020, compared to just 29% for Trump.
Some of that Democratic lean could be felt at Veterans Park, a public gathering spot with a marina located on the shore of Lake Michigan, just over a mile from Fiserv Forum.
"We'll see how these different candidates do, but I'm not a Republican," one woman said of the debate. "I'm curious, but I won't be voting for any of them."
Several interviewees at Veterans Park said they did not plan to watch the debate or they were glad Trump would not be present, though most said they appreciated the attention and business the debate will bring the city.
"Having lived in Milwaukee for over 40 years, it's a great city, and to show it off, whether it's the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, I think it's a good thing," said one Milwaukee resident who plans to have pizza and play Yahtzee with friends rather than watch the debate.
Another man, enjoying his time on a picnic bench by the waterfront, said he's interested in what the candidates have to say but predicted Trump will not win the general election if he is the GOP nominee.
"If [the other candidates] don't go against him, they won't ever break his approval rating down at all," he said, praising Christie's anti-Trump stance. "Trump is most likely going to be the nominee, the way I see it. But that's OK. He ain't going to win the presidency ever again."
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Trump is counterprogramming the debate via a prerecorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and may have other tricks to roll out as the debate unfolds.
But the Donald isn't the only one hoping to draw attention away from the candidates onstage. The Democratic National Committee hosted a reception at a Milwaukee hotel Tuesday night and will preempt the debate with a press conference early Wednesday afternoon.