The Nov. 5 election is quickly approaching, as Wisconsin residents are regularly reminded via campaign text messages, nonstop commercials and more. Journal Sentinel reporters went out to speak with suburban Milwaukee voters about what issues they’re most passionate about and who they’re casting their ballot for in November as part of a series featuring voter voices.
Other stories feature voices from people living the City of Milwaukee, Brown County, rural parts of the state and young voters.
Here’s what 15 suburban Milwaukee voters had to say about the upcoming presidential election:
Catherine Kearn, 85, Waukesha
Who are you voting for? Donald Trump
For Kearn, the liberalism of Democrats, including Kamala Harris, is simply something she can’t support but, more than that, Trump’s take on immigration tops the list of reasons she favors him strongly.
“I think our country needs a lot of help, and I believe the most important thing he can do is control immigration — I won’t say shut it out completely, but control it … because that would have a domino effect on the rest of our country.”
As for Harris, Kearn feels she is part of a platform that prioritizes ideas too liberal for the country, including forgiving student debt, but Kearn feels the Democratic party tends to have lax control of the Mexican border and that weighs heavily on her mind.
Timothy Williams, 55, Waukesha
Who are you voting for? Donald Trump
Williams’ support for Trump is unabashed, partly for past policy decisions. But his top reason for supporting his 2024 presidential run is about bringing about an alternative future.
“Trump will bring change. He will. He has. You see it already,” said Williams, a local retail store owner.
While he acknowledges there might be scores of issues that Trump would face in a second term, Williams said he personally would be satisfied if Trump focused on one meaningful issue and stuck to it, building his legacy, not unlike Barack Obama did with his national health care push. Williams hopes Trump’s focus includes respect and support for military personnel serving around the world.
“Trump knows what’s going on, and he is going to try to change it,” he said.
Christine Moore, 65, South Milwaukee
Who are you voting for? Kamala Harris
“I fear the democracy of our country would be at risk with Trump,” Moore said.
She thinks Trump “lies constantly” and “can’t be trusted.”
Moore said she wants a free and fair election and is worried Trump “acts like a spoiled child” when he doesn’t get his way.
“I’m also concerned about the fact he speaks of mass deportation of immigrants,” she said. “What? People ripped out (of) their homes in the night?”
Moore said she also wants a candidate “who may address and do something about the gun violence in this country.”
Melissa Drew, 43, St. Francis
Who are you voting for? Donald Trump
Drew said she is voting for Trump because he puts America first, and she likes his concepts to stimulate the economy.
“He focuses on the policies that truly matter to everyday working Americans,” she said. “We had no new wars under his administration. We all had more money and cheaper gas.”
She said his foreign policies “have proven to be effective when dealing with other world leaders.”
Drew said Trump is “not a politician” but is “a proven leader.”
“He’s resilient and has great endurance with the amount of hours he puts in to connecting with the American people,” Drew said. “He’s a fighter. While Trump isn’t perfect, he’s the perfect leader for our great nation right now, and JD Vance proved in the VP debate he would make an excellent vice president.”
Michael Dzieminski, 72, South Milwaukee
Who are you voting for? Donald Trump
Dzieminski said his reason for voting for Trump is “he will secure America.”
He also believes Trump will “get us away from global influence, secure our borders and make sure our economy grows.”
Linda Czernicki, 73, Waukesha
Who are you voting for? Kamala Harris
“I was a Republican all these years and I flipped because the Republican Party is gone. There is no Republican Party, not like I know it,” said Czernicki. “And there are other reasons, I’m not saying I’m only voting just because I’m flipping, but I just think (Kamala Harris) is going to be a great asset to the White House.”
Czernicki also said she would love to see a woman become president.
“I know that sounds shallow, but I’d like to have her in there.”
Mohammad Haza, 40, Glendale
Who are you voting for? Undecided
Haza, a Palestinian American, said he will likely abstain from voting, given the U.S. government’s support for Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war. Both Harris and Trump have reiterated their support for Israel’s right to defend itself, though Harris has also called for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza.
Haza said his loved ones in Palestine have been displaced and harmed during the Israel-Hamas war.
Haza said he voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 election. But for Democrats to re-earn his vote, he said the war would need to come to an end.
“At this point, you need peace and both at the same level — Israel and Palestine. You can’t just go with one side,” Haza said.
Stuart Juravel, 70, Shorewood
Who are you voting for? Kamala Harris
Stuart Juravel has decided to vote in this upcoming presidential election for the first time in the decades since he’s been wheelchair bound. Juravel has lived in a senior and disability apartment complex in Shorewood for eight years. It’s where met his friend Beth Hengst who influenced him to participate in the political process and helped him register to vote absentee by mail.
“It was about time, and I’m so grateful for her help,” he said. To Juravel, it’s also time the United States elect a woman to be president. Juravel is just as repelled by Trump as he is drawn to Harris, driven by fears Trump would cut social security and further curtail female reproductive freedoms.
Sagar Tolani, 39, West Allis
Who are you voting for? Kamala Harris
“I’m voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to continue the progress we have made in the last four years,” said Tolani, “And not end up in a recession like we (almost) did during the Trump presidency.”
Tolani, who is also a teacher, believes Harris is the better candidate.
“I also know that Kamala is not perfect, but we cannot have another four years of Trump.”
Emma Lampe, 24, West Allis
Who are you voting for? Kamala Harris
In the November elections, Lampe is voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. She believes this election doesn’t just affect herself, but her child and future children as well.
“My son’s going to be in school next year and no parent should be terrified to send their kid to school. The amount of school shootings that continues to grow is absolutely terrifying,” said Lampe.
Lampe is also an advocate and supporter of a woman’s right to choose and says Harris and Walz have always supported women’s rights.
“I have very strong feelings about women’s rights. Women should always have options available to them and their providers shouldn’t be scared to be losing their jobs over wanting to simply help women. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are looking to help America continue to grow and move forward.”
Heather Gilvary-Hamad, 54, Brookfield
Who are you voting for? Jill Stein, Green Party
Gilvary-Hamad has campaigned for Democrats “faithfully” in past elections, going door-to-door with the party and encouraging members of her Muslim community to vote. But this year, she says she “won’t vote for anyone with a ‘D’ or an ‘R’ behind their name.”
She will cast her vote for Jill Stein, the Green Party’s presidential candidate.
“She’s Jewish, and she’s actually stood up against the genocide that’s killing my family,” Gilvary-Hamad said.
She’s angry at how President Joe Biden’s administration, both presidential candidates and state leaders have supported Israel in its military attacks on Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
Members of her husband’s family have been killed in Gaza in the last year, she said. Others are homeless, without food or water, she said.
Gilvary-Hamad isn’t alone in feeling abandoned by Democrats due to their stance on Israel and Gaza. The Green Party candidate Stein has drawn support from Muslim voters in swing states, including the support of 44% of Muslim voters Wisconsin.
Tacara Lovings, 35, Wauwatosa
Who are you voting for? Kamala Harris
Tacara Lovings, a Wauwatosa resident, said she’s “pretty strongly Harris” in the presidential election. “I don’t know why I would go Trump,” she said.
Lovings said she feels democracy is on the line in the presidential election.
Since moving back to Wisconsin after a few years living elsewhere and growing her family, she’s been more interested in attending events in her neighborhood that give a space to talk about local elections and issues.
Natasha Meyer, 30, Wauwatosa
Who are you voting for? Kamala Harris
Natasha Meyer has voted in all elections she could since she turned 18. She will vote for Kamala Harris, whose stance on reproductive rights is what is driving Meyer to the polls.
Meyer also hopes to see policies that would help small businesses grow, since she recently became the owner of a romance novel business.
Casey Gonzalez, 36, West Allis
Who are you voting for? Donald Trump
Despite not agreeing 100% on neither candidate, Gonzalez believes Trump will work hard with his administration to do what is in the best interest of the American people.
“When he first took office, our economy was in a great place and truly helped the American people thrive,” Gonzalez said. “When asked about policies and procedures, Trump answers clearly, concisely, and almost always has a trajectory or plan. I don’t see the same type of answers and/or confidence, intelligence, or experience from Harris.”
Ellie Kostic, 55, Glendale
Who are you voting for? Kamala Harris
Ellie Kostic feels like she can relate to Harris’ working class background and has high hopes it will translate into economic policies that will support working class people in what Harris calls an “opportunity economy.” In part, she hopes Harris will help restore healthy competition amongst businesses, provide stable jobs and fair pay for workers and support unions rights.
Kostic is part of what Harris has called “the sandwich generation,” caring for both young children and her aging parents. As a result, Harris’s child tax credits and child support policies are a major draw for Kostic.
With a degree in nursing and experience working in neonatal intensive care, Kostic’s support for women’s reproductive freedoms is also in alignment with Harris.
“I like that she’s looking forward and very positive,” she said. “I do not think most women want to be back in this stage where our healthcare choices and reproductive decisions are regulated.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What 15 suburban Milwaukee voters think about 2024 presidential race
