>> ALL RIGHT.

WE LEAVE IT THERE.

JILL UNDERLY, THANKS VERY MUCH.

AS THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT BEGINS TO SHINE ON WISCONSIN AHEAD OF THIS YEAR'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, THE STATE POLITICAL PARTIES ARE BEGINNING THE WORK OF ORGANIZING AND ENERGIZING VOTERS.

HERE AND NOW REPORTER STEVEN POTTER SPOKE TO BOTH STATE PARTY LEADERS ABOUT THEIR PLANS TO GET OUT THE VOTE AND THE IMPACT OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION BEING HELD IN MILWAUKEE THIS SUMMER.

>> EVER SINCE REPUBLICANS RIGGED OUR MAPS FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN 2011, THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS THAT ARE TRULY COMPETITIVE HAS BEEN MICROSCOPIC, JUST A HANDFUL OF SEATS.

THAT MEANS MOST VOTE RS IN BLUE AND IN RED DISTRICTS DON'T REALLY HAVE A CHOICE, AND IF WE HAVE NEW MAPS FROM THE STATE SUPREME COURT, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE NUMBER OF COMPETITIVE DISTRICTS WILL EXPLODE.

THAT COULD DRAW NEW PEOPLE, NEW FRESH BLOOD INTO THE POLITICAL SYSTEM, PEOPLE RUNNING WHO HADN'T WANTED TO RUN IN A TOTALLY RIGGED DISTRICT, AND IT COULD MEAN I THINK FOR BOTH PARTIES THAT WE ARE WORKING IN MANY MORE PARTS OF THE STATE TO SUPPORT A MUCH WIDER AWAY OF CANDIDATES IN A CAMPAIGN THAT COULD BE CLOSER.

>> WHAT I HEAR AROUND THE STATE IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT THOSE DISTRICTS CHANGED.

PEOPLE LOOK AT REDRAWING DISTRICT LINES EVERY 10 YEARS AND WE HAVE TO DO IT BECAUSE OF THE CENSUS, BUT FOR THE LIBERAL SUPREME COURT TO COME BACK WITHIN A YEAR AND A HALF OF WHEN THE OLD LINES WERE SET AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THIS DISTRICT OR THAT DISTRICT, WHATEVER, WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THAT.

IN FACT, YOU'RE SITTIN G ASSEMBLY OR SENATE PERSON OR CONGRESSMAN THAT IS REPRESENTING YOU, WE MAY CHANGE THAT, TOO.

THAT'S NOT A POPULAR ISSUE OUT AROUND THE STATE.

I THINK THAT'S -- IF THE DEMOCRATS ARE COUNTING ON THAT TO HELP THEM, I THINK THAT IS A VERY UNPOPULAR ISSUE BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T WANT THE LINES MOVING AROUND ALL THE TIME.

>> IN JULY, THERE WILL BE THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION IN MILWAUKEE.

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATION GOING INTO THAT EVENT?

>> FOR US, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT TO REPUBLICANS AND MEDIA FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHAT REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP HAS LOOKED LIKE HERE IN WISCONSIN, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIM AND A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR AND A DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR, BUT ALSO JOE BIDEN HAS TO KEEP COMING BACK TO WISCONSIN CONSTANTLY.

HE'LL BE HERE AGAIN SOON BECAUSE HE'S IN TROUBLE IN THIS STATE.

ALMOST EVERY SET OF POLLING NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE OUT THERE SHOW JOE BIDEN IS IN BIG TROUBLE, UPSIDE DOWN ON ANY NUMBER OF ISSUES AFFECTING THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE, AND SO NEITHER PARTY CAN TAKE IT FOR GRANTED, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE WALL ON EVERYTHING.

>> THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION WILL MAKE VIVIDLY CLEAR WHAT TODAY'S TRUMPIFIED MAGA REPUBLICAN PARTY STANDS FOR, AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER AND OVER IS THAT THE MORE VOTERS SEE FROM DONALD TRUMP AND THE TRUMP-LIKE MAGA, THE LESS THEY WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT EXTREME WING OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

THIS IS NOT THE REPUBL ICAN PARTY OF TOMMY THOMPSON.

THIS IS A REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT TRIED TO OVERTURN THE 2020 ELECTIONS, THAT PUT EXTREME SUPREME COURT JUSTICES ON THAT RIPPED AWAY ROE VERSUS WADE, AND HAS TRIED TO CRIMINALIZE ABORTION AND NOW IS TALKING ABOUT GOING AFTER CONTRACEPTION, THINGS LIKE BIRTH CONTROL PILLS AND I.U.D.s.

THOSE ARE POLICIES SO OUT OF STEP WITH WHAT MOST WISCONSINITES WANT THAT WE THINK REPUBLICANS HAVING A STAGE IN OUR STATE WILL MAKE VIVIDLY CLEAR THE CONTRAST, THE CHOICE PEOPLE HAVE BETWEEN A BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION THAT STANDS UP FOR COMMON SENSE AND A MAGA G.O.P.

THAT IS PUSHING WAY FAR OUT TO THE FAR, FAR RIGHT.

>> WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM VOTERS ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES IN THIS ELECTION CYCLE?

>> WHAT WE FIND IS THAT OVER AND OVER, WHETHER PEOPLE DISAGREE OR AGREE, TAX POLICY, THESE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS OF WHETHER WE ALL HAVE THE FREEDOM TO LIVE THE KINDS OF LIVES THAT WE WANT TO LEAD, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT LEADS VOTERS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM TO VOTE AGAINST MAC GA REPUBLICANS AND FOR DEMOCRATS.

WE SAW THAT IN THE SUPREME COURT RACE THIS SPRING, WE SAW THAT IN 2022.

WE'RE GOING TO SEE THA T AGAIN IN 2024.

>> LARGELY WHAT I HEAR AS WE GO AROUND THE STATE BUT ALSO IN THE POLLING AND THE OTHER SURVEY WE SEE, ECONOMY, NUMBER ONE.

ALSO ABORTION HAS BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE HERE IN THE STATE.

IS IT ALSO GOING TO BE A MAJOR ISSUE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION?

>> YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AFRAID OF THAT ISSUE, I'M REALLY NOT.

I'M NOT SURE WE HANDLED IT AS WELL AS WE COULD TWO YEARS AGO,