Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will make a campaign stop Wednesday evening in Waukesha amid weaker poll numbers in the Milwaukee suburb than another GOP presidential contender had in the past.
A Marquette University Law School poll released last week shows Democrat Hillary Clinton with a slight lead over Trump in Wisconsin.
The poll also showed Trump ahead in the heavily Republican Milwaukee suburbs, including Waukesha County, but with a smaller advantage than GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney had four years ago over President Barack Obama.
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Trump has some obstacles to clear in Waukesha County in the weeks before the general election, Marquette pollster Charles Franklin said.
“One part is certainly the Never Trump Movement. Trump lost the area pretty badly in the primary to Ted Cruz back in April,” Franklin said.
Conservative talk show hosts in suburban Milwaukee have disparaged Trump and higher levels of education in the suburbs may be a factor in the Republican’s numbers, Franklin said.
“Trump does best with white people with less than a college degree, and this suburban area around Milwaukee has relatively highly educated white populations,” Franklin said.
Clinton remains unpopular with Republicans in the area, Trump has a chance of improving his standing in the suburbs if he can offer GOP voters a reason to “come home” to his candidacy, Franklin said.
The rally begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Waukesha County Expo Center, 1000 Northview Road.
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