Former President Clinton latest campaign surrogate to stump in Milwaukee as end to election nears

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- As the hours tick down to Election Day, another campaign surrogate visited the Milwaukee area on Thursday, Oct. 31.

Former President Bill Clinton visited a Democratic campaign headquarters on the city's north side Thursday afternoon before heading to an event to speak with Kamala Harris supporters.

We were the only crew allowed into the campaign office as former President Clinton talked about the volunteers' efforts and how Wisconsin could swing the election.

We also talked with many of the volunteers themselves about what they're hearing from voters.

President Clinton arrived in Milwaukee to a hero's welcome as he greeted democratic campaign volunteers.

He told them, "I don't want anything, I'm not running for anything, but I am running for my grandchildren's future."

The 42nd president shook hands and gave hugs for a half hour as he tried to steel their resolve in the final days of a bruising campaign.

Of Vice President Kamala Harris, he said, "She, on the other hand, has every likelihood of being a truly outstanding president of the United States."

Edwina Matthews was a Milwaukee freedom rider who's been politically active for nearly all her life.

She said she's volunteering because students in her classrooms see how divisive politics is right now.

"The kids are really tired of all the negative things. And all the ads and everything. They're like, 'I don't want to hear it anymore! We're tired of it,'" Matthews told us.

President Clinton was the first person Bernadine Baines ever voted for. She had newspapers from the days after Clinton won election in 1992 and 1996.

Illustrating the importance of Wisconsin was the number of volunteers from out of state.

Paul Tourangeau lives in Colorado but has been in Milwaukee the last few weeks for the home stretch.

He told us, "I was wanting to take the time to come here in a swing state to put in the effort to get people to turn out to vote."

President Clinton had another campaign stop scheduled after his visit to the office, but volunteer Richard Heiden wasn't going because "I'll be out canvassing in the neighborhood here. So, I think that's more important."

But those who did go heard President Clinton's final pitch to a critical state.

He told voters, "I don't want you to feel any pressure, but I do. I want you to feel the heat. Every minute between now and Tuesday. And go win us a great victory. Bless you."

President Clinton did not take any questions from reporters at either of the Milwaukee stops.