A bipartisan group broke bread at a Wisconsin debate watch party. Here's what they heard.

It was like any other dinner party but for the guests and the reason for the gathering.

Democrats and Republicans sat around a long table, broke bread and shared conversation before their attention was drawn to the split screen of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

The 18 or so people had gathered at the downtown Milwaukee Club to watch the only scheduled debate between Harris and Trump before the November presidential election. By design, the group did not resemble other watch parties assembled as gatherings of like-minded voters.

"The whole concept is that you bring people together, and there's some unity and unanimity and that at the end of the night, everybody gets along," said host Craig Peterson, a longtime GOP strategist who calls himself a Reagan Republican.

More: Harris and the Democrats are outdueling Trump and Republicans in the Wisconsin ad wars

The dinner was one of three watch parties the Journal Sentinel attended, including one organized by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in Madison and another by the Trump campaign in Green Bay.

The gatherings took place as polls show a close race as little time remains for either candidate to attract voters in a presidential campaign already truncated by President Joe Biden's July decision to drop out and endorse Harris.

A cross-partisan group gathers in Milwaukee

Who won the first round? Peterson asked at the first break about 9 p.m.

The question prompted a table-wide conversation about each candidate's style, whether they were meeting expectations and answering moderators' questions.

Tory Lowe, a host on 101.7 The Truth who supports Trump, told those gathered that the former president was holding his own.

"Trump is up one, they have to win this," Lowe said of Democrats, referencing Biden's disastrous debate performance against Trump that preceded his departure from the race.

By the end, Lowe said Harris held her ground.

Peterson, who supports Harris, said the vice president had beaten expectations and "demonstrated she's tough as nails."

His assessment of Trump was less flattering.

"I think he came to the fight unarmed," Peterson said of Trump's performance with just minutes to go.

The quiet attention on the debate was at times punctuated by laughs of incredulity, such as when Trump claimed Harris "wants to do transgender operations on illegal aliens that are in prison."

Such comments struck Teresa Esser, 51, of Wauwatosa as Trump "throwing trigger words at the camera."

A Democrat, Esser said before the debate she was hoping to see Harris shine. Harris, she said, lived up to that expectation by introducing herself well and standing up to a tough opponent.

As she left, she said Harris made a good showing.

"I felt momentum," she said. "I felt that there's a candidate who respects the Constitution ... and I hope she wins because I care about rule of law. The Constitution protects us as Americans and protects me as a woman."

In Green Bay, reverence for Donald Trump shines through

Debate watchers at Trump campaign headquarters in Green Bay exuded reverence for the former president, with most wearing "Team Trump" stickers on "Make America Great Again" and American flag shirts.A voice cut through the chatter. Micah Pearce, 30, was leading the room in a prayer.

"I pray that you would be with President Trump tonight, Lord," Pearce said. "That you would give him words to say that not only improve his chances and enlighten our nation, but would also give a chance for your name and your light to be known."

More: 'He's anointed': Donald Trump's Wisconsin faithful cloak the 2024 race in messianic zeal

These Trump backers booed and shook their heads as Harris called the January 6, 2021, crowd at the Capitol a "violent mob.” One woman put her head in her hands, saying, "Oh my God, seriously?"

Christine Schiller, 73, didn't know anyone at the watch party. Trump brought her out, she said, calling the choice simple."He's honest," Schiller said. "Without him, I don't know where we'd be."

Rick Van Lenen, 60, said Trump made an effective case for a return to office.

"I feel like there was four years of fake chaos when he was in as president. The media and everybody you know accused him of all different things," Van Lenen said. "After these four years, we have wars, we have inflation, we're heading into a recession. This is the real chaos."

In Madison, presidential debate watchers gain cautious optimism in Harris

In Madison, a Democratic stronghold, debate watchers gathered at the Brass Ring in downtown for a Democratic party event. Paper coconut trees hung from the ceiling in some places, while the watch party area was decorated in signs with "Coach Walz" and "Harris."

More: What to know about Kamala Harris, coconut trees and 'Brat Summer'

In June, Democrats in Madison struggled to make it through the debate, watching President Joe Biden stumble over his words and get caught up in confusing mistakes of his own making. Some watchers called it a "painful" experience, and others simply said "good luck America" before leaving the theater the watch party was hosted in.

But Tuesday was a different story, with Kamala Harris making Democrats more confident.

Ryan Solsten, 31, of Madison said that while Harris sounded clear and concise, Trump was rambling and incoherent.

"He doesn't sound like he has a grasp on anything other than this world that he's living in, that's so detached from what me and my friends and family live every day," he said.

More: Hannibal Lecter, Al Capone and a list of promises. Takeaways from Trump's Mosinee rally

He said that while he's feeling the enthusiasm surrounding Harris' entry into the election, he's concerned about her stance on the situation in Gaza. She needs to pay attention to how many people voted uninstructed in the primaries because they did so in support of Gaza, he said.

Taylor Kirby, 30, of Madison, said Harris held her own against the personal attacks leveled by Trump.

After watching the debate, she's hoping people who have been hesitant to vote consider the stakes of the election and cast their ballot. But she's not 100% confident Harris will win.

"I'm not feeling confident, but I'm feeling optimistic," she said.

Lisa Pardon, 67, of Middleton, felt Harris took command of the debate when the issue of reproductive rights was raised, but she still has worries about November.

"I'm feeling confident that she's the most competent person out there," she said. "I'm not feeling confident that there's a portion of our population that I don't understand where they're getting their information from, but I do feel very strongly that she will do well."

Nadir Carlson, 32, of Madison, said Harris spoke well to voters she needs to reach but shares worries about how the election will turn out.

"I think it's going to be tight race but her team is doing a really good job of working on the states they need to win, and I think people are seeing that this is the chance to finally put an end to Donald Trump and his crazy policies and the way he's acting."

Alison Dirr can be reached at [email protected]. Laura Schulte can be reached at [email protected]. Nadia Scharf can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Voters in 3 Wisconsin cities react to Harris-Trump debate