In 2000, when George W. Bush and Al Gore deadlocked in the presidential election, Wisconsin could have spelled the difference. Gore won 47.83 of the vote there, Bush 47.61. Of 2,480,266 votes cast, the margin was just 5,708.

In 2004, Bush battled Sen. John Kerry in the Badger State. Top Bush aide Karl Rove, the “Architect,” had been eyeing the state since 2000 and made a huge push to grab it. Of the 2,967,624 votes cast that year, the margin was just as tight — .38 percent.

“The Trump slide has stopped and the problems with Clinton’s integrity have once again made this a competitive race.”

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Republicans have to go all the way back to 1984 to find a win in Wisconsin. But Team Trump is bent on capturing the elusive prize, with Trump courting Wisconsin voters and trying to appeal to the populist sentiment there.

Both he and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, his vice-presidential running mate, visited Wisconsin twice in August. And with some 26 new campaign offices planned to open in the next few weeks, the Trump campaign’s efforts at targeting the traditionally blue state could well pay off in the end.

Just last week, the most recent Marquette University poll in Wisconsin reported that Trump had significantly closed the gap with Hillary Clinton. Although he previously trailed Clinton by 15 percent at the beginning of August, Trump now stands a mere 3 points behind. The poll is backed up by the most recent Monmouth survey, which showed Trump within 5 points.

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Trump’s upward trend in the polls offers a welcome sign of hope to the recently restructured campaign. After experiencing a boost following the Republican National Convention in July, Trump suffered a sharp decline in national polls after he made several controversial gaffes and underwent a campaign leadership shakeup. To make matters worse, Clinton enjoyed the fruits from her party’s convention the following week as her poll numbers vaulted.

Now, as Clinton falls prey to an ongoing onslaught of her own scandals, the Trump campaign finds itself at an important juncture that could make the difference in traditionally blue states.

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“The Trump slide has stopped and the problems with Clinton’s integrity have once again made this a competitive race,” GOP pollster Frank Luntz told The Hill.

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Trump’s comparatively large investment in Wisconsin is reaping dramatic results that could revive the Republican Party’s hopes for both the blue state — and the presidential election. If Trump can surpass Clinton in Wisconsin, maintain the states that 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney won, and capture hotly contested swing states such as Florida, Ohio, and Iowa, Trump would be within one state of reaching the 270 electoral votes necessary to beat Clinton.

And after 32 years, the GOP might just be due.