The two main candidates in an extremely tight US Senate race in Wisconsin will debate each other tonight for the second time.
Republican Tommy Thompson regained his earlier lead over Democrat Tammy Baldwin by just one percentage point, 46-45, in the latest Marquette Law School poll released on Wednesday. The race is considered a dead heat, because the results are well within the poll’s 3.4 percent margin of error.
Tonight’s debate begins at 7 p.m. on the UW-Marathon County campus in Wausau. It will be broadcast live on Wisconsin Public Television stations and WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee. It will also be streamed live online in several places. Andy Moore of Wisconsin Public Television says the format will require Thompson and Baldwin to dig deeper into issues, beyond their normal campaign speeches.
On Wednesday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie campaigned for Thompson in Green Bay, while US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham were at reception for Thompson in Waukesha. Baldwin plans to appear with former President Bill Clinton tomorrow night in Green Bay. She’ll also be with First Lady Michelle Obama as she campaigns in Racine and Wausau during the day tomorrow.
Baldwin has the financial edge, with $3.5 million dollars in her campaign fund at the start of October compared to $2 million for Thompson. Outside groups are also spending millions more on both sides.