× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

Potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is coming to the UW-Madison campus Friday for a meet-and-greet with students and faculty, a closely guarded event that will be the former Texas congressman’s first visit to a key state in the battleground, industrial Midwest.

O’Rourke is scheduled to be on campus for a two-hour meeting early Friday evening. UW-Madison spokesman John Lucas said Thursday the event is not open to the press, public or anyone not affiliated with the university.

The campus Political Science Student Association organized the meeting in a room that fits about 150 people. The group’s leader, Isaac Johnson, said O’Rourke wanted to keep the event limited to students and those affiliated with the university.

“They’re just really excited about the level of enthusiasm there has been at the university in the last election,” Johnson said.

President Donald Trump carried Wisconsin in 2016 by less than a percentage point, making him the first Republican presidential candidate to win the state since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Hillary Clinton was heavily criticized for not campaigning in Wisconsin during the general election and Democrats are anxious to take it back.