What matters to key swing state voters in Wisconsin? A single road offers a glimpse

On a recent Tuesday morning, a team from NPR’s All Things Considered and member station WUWM embarked on a journey along one of Milwaukee’s most diverse streets: North Avenue.

This 15-mile road runs east to west, starting near Lake Michigan and stretching all the way into the suburbs. It cuts through every type of neighborhood: urban, suburban, rich, poor, racially segregated and racially diverse.

There’s a reason we chose this spot. Wisconsin is a state of 6 million people where the presidential vote has regularly been decided by a margin of 20,000 voters. That’s less than 1%.

And it’s not just one demographic group or bloc that can make the difference in 2024 — it’s all of them. So we spoke with voters of many political persuasions about what’s important to them this election season.

Because as people here like to say: As goes North Avenue, so goes Wisconsin.

Stop 1: Bradford Beach

We began our journey of North Avenue on the banks of Lake Michigan, where a handful of runners were braving the rain and assembly before the sun had even risen.

The group doesn’t normally talk about politics. But on this day, Hans Goldenberg, 34, was happy to share his thoughts.

“I may or may not vote. I don’t like either candidate to be completely honest,” he said.

Goldenberg thinks Republicans would do a better job addressing what he feels are high taxes and crime, but he’s also socially liberal and wrestles with that.

“I've gone both ways in the past … I feel like sometimes my vote doesn’t matter,” he said.

Jackie Breen, 32, jumps in. Breen said she’s a committed Harris voter, but she gets why Goldenberg is frustrated.

“I have felt for many, many elections for a very long time, like, who am I voting for? I don’t want either,” she said.