Tammy Baldwin, locked in her own re-election race, won't appear with Joe Biden in Madison
WASHINGTON – If Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin wanted to show her support for President Joe Biden following his shaky debate performance last week, she'd have her chance Friday.
But the Madison Democrat, in a tight reelection race that will help decide the balance of the Senate, will not appear with Biden when he visits her hometown later this week, according to her campaign. Instead, Baldwin will be in northeastern Wisconsin on a pre-planned statewide tour.
Her absence Friday will mark the fourth time this year that Baldwin did not appear with Biden on one of the president's visits to the state. She last visited the president when he stopped in Superior in late January, then did not join him for his subsequent visits in March, April and May. Baldwin's campaign noted she was in Washington during those previous visits.
Biden's visit this week, however, follows a debate performance that underscored questions about the president's age and has led some Democrats to call to replace him at the top of the ticket.
Baldwin after the debate distanced herself from Biden following the event. A campaign spokesman in response to questions about her support for the president at the time said only that Baldwin was "running her own race for the people of Wisconsin."
When pressed on whether Baldwin supported Biden as Democrats' 2024 presidential nominee, the spokesman said: “Tammy supports the president.”
Eric Hovde, Baldwin's presumed Republican opponent in November, has attempted for months to tie Baldwin to Biden, who is unpopular in the state. On Tuesday, Hovde's campaign called Baldwin's plans to skip Friday's visit "a desperate and selfish move from a 38-year politician that prioritizes her political career over the concerns of Wisconsinites."
"After being a rubber stamp vote for the disastrous Biden agenda for nearly 4 years, Sen. Baldwin is now making up excuses to not be seen with President Biden," Hovde spokesman Zach Bannon said. Hovde appeared with former President Donald Trump during a campaign stop in Racine in June.
Baldwin is faring much better than Biden in statewide polls.
A Marquette Law School poll released last week showed Baldwin running five points ahead of Hovde, among both likely and registered voters, beating Hovde 52-47.
The same survey found that 45% of voters viewed Baldwin favorably and 44% viewed her unfavorably — a net favorability of plus 1.
Biden, meanwhile, was viewed favorably by just 40% of voters, while 58% viewed him unfavorably — a minus 18 net favorability, according to the Marquette survey of Wisconsinites. Biden is essentially tied with former President Donald Trump in Wisconsin, the survey found, and national polls show him trailing Trump in other key swing states.
Trump’s favorability in Wisconsin remained static at 41% from May to June, according to Marquette, despite being convicted in late May of 34 felony counts related to hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election. Fifty-seven percent of respondents had an unfavorable opinion of Trump, leaving him with a net favorability of minus 16 in Wisconsin.
While Baldwin planned to be on her "Fired Up for Tammy" tour Friday, other prominent Wisconsin Democrats planned to appear with Biden when he came to Madison.
A spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said the governor is "tentatively planning to attend" Biden's Friday campaign event in Madison.
And an aide to Rep. Mark Pocan, who represents a safely Democratic district anchored in Madison, said Pocan would also join the president during the trip.
Journal Sentinel reporter Molly Beck contributed.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tammy Baldwin won't appear with Joe Biden during Wisconsin visit