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Democrats Regaining Strength In Michigan, Midwest States

February 25, 2019 / 11:41 AM EST / CBS Detroit

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump smashed the blue wall in his first White House bid. Winning in Midwestern states that hadn't backed a Republican presidential contender in three decades.

But as he gears up for his re-election bid, there are early signs that Democrats are regaining their strength in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, clinching governorship and making inroads in state legislatures.

There is no surer way for Democrats to block Trump's re-election than to reclaim that trio of states, which may have supplanted Florida and Ohio as the nation's premier presidential battlegrounds. But Democrats who know the region best are warning against overconfidence and suggesting the leftward lurch from some candidates could alienate the region's working-class voters.

"I would never underestimate Donald Trump," Wisconsin's newly-elected Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said when asked if Trump would win his state a second time in 2020.

"I don't agree with almost anything he's done," Evers added. "But he's an extraordinary politician and extraordinary human being."

Michigan's freshman Gov. Gretchen Whitmer encouraged Democrats to rally behind a "pragmatic" candidate focused on achievable policies, a subtle dig at the aggressive liberal agenda that has been embraced by some candidates. Above all, she suggested that the Democrats' blue wall would not be resurrected in 2020 without significant time and attention from the Democrats who want to take down Trump.

"At some point I may get involved in this primary and support a candidate," Whitmer said. "But right now, I think everyone, for their sake and the sake of the people my state, needs to come to Michigan."

The contrasting visions over how to defeat Trump were on display this weekend. As Midwestern governors were in Washington talking about everyday governing challenges at the National Governor's Association, high-profile presidential contenders were promoting ambitious liberal priorities in early-voting primary states.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and California Sen. Kamala Harris stumped in New Hampshire and Iowa for universal health care, free college tuition and tax hikes on the rich.

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is considering launching a presidential campaign, played up his local roots as he told voters in Nevada that other Democrats weren't spending enough time talking to workers, including union members, about issues like wages, benefits and workplace safety. A handful of others — Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and even Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — have promoted their working-class appeal as well as they fight to stand out in the crowded Democratic field.

For now, Trump says he isn't worried.

In conversations with friends and confidants, the president has expressed confidence he can maintain his grip on the blue wall in 2020. He has told people at his private club in Florida that he expects to win Pennsylvania and Michigan. He also cited former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's 1-point loss in November as a sign that he could still win the state, which hadn't backed a Republican presidential contender since 1984 before Trump's 2016 win.