Pence coming to Wisconsin Capitol for school choice event

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence is coming to the Wisconsin state Capitol on Jan. 28 for an event in the building’s rotunda celebrating national school choice week, the White House announced on Tuesday.

The visit will take place exactly two weeks after President Donald Trump’s rally in Milwaukee. Pence visited Wisconsin three times last year, stopping in Eau Claire in May, Pleasant Prairie in October and Marinette in November.

It will be Pence’s first visit to Madison, a liberal stronghold in battleground Wisconsin, since the 2016 campaign. He prepared for the vice presidential debate that year by meeting privately with then-Gov. Scott Walker, who played the role of Democratic candidate Tim Kaine. Pence also held a fundraiser in Madison in 2016.

Pence is scheduled to deliver remarks as part of the Wisconsin School Choice Student Showcase, an event celebrating national school choice week. The Madison event is advertised as a celebration of school choice options for children and families and was to include “musical and artistic performances” in what is described as a “fun, energetic celebration.”

Wisconsin is one of a handful of swing states in the presidential election and Pence’s visit early in the year, coming on the heels of Trump’s rally, highlights its importance.