It was standing room only in the Riverside Ballroom Tuesday evening, where a 500-person capacity left dozens of Hillary Clinton fans standing in the lobby to listen to her speech.
Clinton was joined by 20 or so supporters on stage, waving signs with the slogan "Fighting for Us" behind her as she addressed the crowd.
Clinton connected with attendees through talk of bringing back jobs to Wisconsin, making higher education more affordable through taxing the rich, and laughed at a crowd member's "down with Walker" comment, referring to Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
For those who spent hours in line, like Debra Pearson, of Luxemburg, the wait was worth it.
"I got here about 4:30, and waited in a long line," says Pearson, moments after the speech ended, "and I'm so glad I got in!"
"It's the way we've got to go, it's what our country needs," says Corey Bialcik, of Green Bay.
During her speech, Clinton was connecting with Wisconsinites who identify as middle class through the promise of bringing more jobs to the nation, and the state.
"I really believe that the American labor movement helped to create the American middle class," says Clinton, promising also "more infrastructure jobs--roads, bridges, tunnels, ports, airports--good union jobs, good jobs for people."
"You can tell in her voice, you can tell, in her heart," says Bialcik, "that she believes what she's talking [about]."
"I thought she was great, and I thought when she gets real personal, and conversational, she shines in terms of caring about us," says Pearson, "and our future, and our kids' future."
It's a message that Clinton hopes will stick with voters in Wisconsin with primaries drawing near.
During her speech, Clinton also took time to promote Democratic candidate Russ Feingold, who is running against incumbent Republican Ron Johnson for Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seat.
