Vice President JD Vance visits Plover, highlights midterm stakes

By Brandi Makuski

PLOVER — Vice President JD Vance visited central Wisconsin on Thursday, using a stop in Plover to promote the Trump administration’s economic agenda and rally support ahead of the midterm elections.

The visit came just two days after President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address and underscored the political importance of Wisconsin, a key battleground state.

“Wisconsin is a state with a proud tradition of building great American products with Wisconsin hands, and that is what we are here to celebrate today in this great facility,” Vance told a crowd gathered at Pointe Precision.

It marked Vance’s second visit to Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District in less than six months. The district, represented by Republican Derrick Van Orden, is expected to be closely contested in the upcoming election cycle.

Vance praised Van Orden during his remarks and credited him with advancing several tax proposals.

“No taxes on tips, that happened because of Derrick. No taxes on overtime, that happened because of Derrick. No taxes on Social Security, that happened because of Derrick,” Vance said. “So are we going to send Derrick Van Orden back to Washington? Yes.”

Van Orden spoke before Vance, along with U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is the only Republican candidate currently running for Wisconsin governor.

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany is the only Republican candidate currently running for Wisconsin governor. (Metro Wire photo)

“The White House understands that Wisconsin is incredibly important. We are a microcosm of the United States and what has to happen to make America great again,” Van Orden said.

Organizers estimated about 300 people attended the event.

The visit came together quickly after Van Orden toured Pointe Precision and recommended the facility as a stop for the vice president.

“They were in for a tour about a week ago and they were impressed with what we were doing,” founder Joe Kinsella said. “And so he was going to relay that information on to someone higher up in government. Two weeks later my son got a call from the vice president’s office.”

Kinsella called the experience a memorable opportunity for the company’s 165 employees.

“Are you kidding me? He came to Plover. Plover,” Kinsella said. “It’s been a very long week. But it’s a wonderful opportunity for our employees. They worked hard all week with the Secret Service in getting this thing set up.”

State Sen. Patrick Testin, who has served in the Legislature since 2017 and has been Senate president pro tempore since 2021, described the visit as a significant moment for the region.

“It’s an amazing historic mark for central Wisconsin,” Testin said. “It says a lot about the work ethic in this part of the state.”

Not all reactions were positive. Several Democratic leaders issued statements criticizing the administration and the visit.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said the president’s trade and health care policies have hurt families and farmers in the state.

“We heard Tuesday night that the president is going to double down on his disastrous tariff policies,” Baldwin said. “These have devastated families and farmers alike. They deserve independent leadership and not a rubber stamp.”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mandela Barnes said the administration’s economic message would be difficult to sell to struggling residents.

“JD Vance has a tough job today,” Barnes said. “He’s got to look Wisconsin families in the eye and tell them this economy is working for them.”

State Rep. Vincent Miresse also criticized the visit, calling it a political stop rather than an opportunity to listen to local concerns.

“Vice President Vance came to Plover for a photo op,” Miresse said. “One press stop in Plover, or any part of small-town America for that matter, isn’t going to remedy the damage that has been done.”