Jeff Bollier, and Shelby Le Duc

Green Bay Press Gazette

GREEN BAY - Chelsea Clinton focused on family — others’ and her own — during an hourlong rally that highlighted family stories of her mother’s 30-plus years of work supporting children, women, families and underserved Americans.

It was exactly what Allouez resident Loren Prince wanted to hear.

Prince was one of about 120 Hillary Clinton supporters at an early voting rally with Chelsea Clinton at Backstage at the Meyer in downtown Green Bay.

The rally included a question-and-answer session, during which Prince spoke to Clinton about elevating the campaign's message to focus more on Hillary Clinton's positive attributes.

“The small events are nice because you can break down some barriers,” Prince said after the rally. “I think a positive message is always best to try to reach people rather than acting out of fear. I want to act because I’m encouraged by my hopes. There’s negative perceptions of both candidates, but Hillary Clinton has done a lot of good things for kids, families and others.”

Prince said he supported U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Party's presidential primary election, but has evolved over time from someone who merely wanted to vote against Republican Donald Trump to an active supporter of Clinton’s campaign to be the first woman elected president of the United States.

Chelsea Clinton repeatedly drove the positive message home, saying her mother's years of political and nonprofit work on behalf of children and women is an indicator of what she will do as president.

"One of the challenges is continuing to make the argument about what she has done as a good indicator of what she will fight for, will stand for, will deliver," she said. "I think it illustrates my mom’s complete unwillingness to ever give up. Of all the things they’ve said about her, no one’s ever called her a quitter."

Several opponents of Clinton’s campaign were outside the Meyer Theatre as crowds gathered ahead of Chelsea Clinton’s appearance. One held up a “Hillary for Prison” sign while a Trump supporter made a sign that sought to draw attention to the past misconduct of President Bill Clinton.

Wisconsin has re-emerged as a battleground as resent polls have shown Trump narrow Clinton's lead in the state. The most recent Marquette University Law School Poll found Clinton with 41 percent to Trump’s 38 percent in a four-way race. Libertarian Gary Johnson had 11 percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein had 2 percent.

Clinton delivered off-the-cuff remarks for 30 minutes before opening the floor to questions from the audience. She stressed the importance of voting early and encouraged supporters to talk with neighbors, friends and family to build support for her mother. She called this year’s presidential election the most important in her lifetime, one that has additional meaning to her as a mother.

“I didn’t know I could care any more intensely about who was running for office until I became a parent,” she said. “Becoming a parent just intensified how I already felt about things that are core to what our country is at its best. Whomever we elect will play a profound role in shaping the future my children grow up in.”

Some attendees said they’re concerned about what Trump would do if he wins the November election.

"One of the biggest issues for me this election is that I'm an LGBT person," Patrick Platta of Appleton said. "I'm married to my husband here in Wisconsin and the thought of Donald Trump going in there and taking that away scares the hell out of me."

Others said they didn’t want to miss the chance to be part of Clinton’s historic run as the first woman to be nominated for the presidency by a major party.

Green Bay resident Teri Bussiere said Hillary Clinton’s historic candidacy and Chelsea Clinton’s chance to repeat as the "first daughter" drew her to the event. She said she’s followed the Clintons since their first tenure in the White House.

“This is a great chance for me to be a part of it,” Brussiere said. “This young lady was first daughter once and has the opportunity to be it again. She was raised surrounded by influential people, so who knows where Chelsea will go from here?”

Mitch Nolan of Green Bay, who characterizes himself as a fiscal conservative but social liberal, said although he did not hear anything new during Clinton's speech, it was enough to sway his vote.

"It was nice to put a personal face to Clinton's campaign," he said. "I was sure I wasn’t going to vote for Trump, but there are third-party candidates out there, but I think I’ll vote for Hillary.You need to think about some of the hate that is coming out of Trump’s campaign. I think we need to not give him the opportunity to bring that hate to the White House."

Eighth Congressional District Democratic candidate Tom Nelson and state Rep. Eric Genrich, D-Green Bay, both spoke ahead of Chelsea and sought to drive home the message of support for families and children. Nelson said he would support preserving Social Security and keeping jobs in northeastern Wisconsin alongside Clinton and Senate candidate Russ Feingold.

Genrich portrayed Clinton as the candidate who "cares for her family and for my family and all of your families."

"For me, that’s one of the biggest differences between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton," Genrich said. "One of the biggest reasons for me is the way she values families and not just with rhetoric, but through her career. Her dedication to women and children and families is well-documented for more than 30 years," Genrich said.

jbollier@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GBstreetwise. sleduc@greenbay.gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @pgshelbyleduc