Harris has a busy schedule ahead as she plans to visit three key states in the next six days. She will spend three days in Michigan, two days in Pennsylvania, and one day in Wisconsin. During each visit, she will make multiple stops to connect with the communities.
In the presidential race, all three states are teetering on the brink. According to Decision Desk HQ/The Hill’s aggregate polling, Harris currently has a slim lead of 0.7 percentage points over Trump in Pennsylvania. On the other hand, Trump is leading with a margin of 0.8 points in Michigan and a narrow 0.1 points in Wisconsin.
Losing the three swing states will pose a significant challenge for both Trump and Harris as these states have consistently leaned in the same direction in every presidential election since 1992.
Harris aspires to forge an alternative route to securing 270 electoral votes, which would encompass winning battleground states like Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona.
However, she currently lags behind Trump in the RealClearPolitics average in these states, all of which have traditionally leaned towards GOP presidential candidates in recent decades.
Winning all three Southern states, along with the swing state of Nevada, is crucial for Trump as he aims to secure the necessary 270 electoral votes.
According to Al Mottur, a Democratic strategist and bundler at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, it is undeniable that the three states in the blue wall play a crucial role in both campaigns.
Union voters play a critical role in the blue wall, and Harris has witnessed the Teamsters and International Association of Fire Fighters choosing not to endorse in the current cycle, despite supporting President Biden over Trump four years ago.
In Michigan, Harris is confronted with the task of defending the Biden administration’s stance on Israel and Gaza, a position that has caused significant displeasure among Arab American voters, a crucial demographic in the Great Lakes State.
The slim margin that Harris holds in the Decision Desk HQ/The Hill average in Wisconsin is causing concern for some Democrats. This is particularly worrisome considering Trump’s ability to outperform polls in the state during both the 2016 and 2020 elections. If Trump manages to exceed expectations once again, there is a high chance that he will secure the presidency.
According to Ivan Zapien, a former official with the Democratic National Committee, the campaign was constructed in a nail-biting manner and it turned out to be successful.
Harris’s decision to launch the blue wall blitz demonstrates her determination to avoid repeating the same mistake made by Hillary Clinton in 2016. Clinton was criticized for not dedicating enough time to campaigning in the crucial three states.
According to Mottur, Tim Kaine, Clinton’s running mate, admitted that one of their mistakes during the 2016 election was focusing on demographics rather than geography. They relied on analytics to target specific demographics with their messaging and ads, but neglected to travel geographically. As a result, Clinton faced a major defeat.
In Pennsylvania, Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), are actively engaging with the voters. They are receiving support from billionaire Elon Musk, who plans to join them in the Keystone State during the final weeks of the campaign.
There has been a noticeable increase in confidence among some Republicans regarding the race.
David Urban, a Pennsylvania native who has advised Trump’s previous presidential campaigns, expressed optimism, stating, “So goes Pennsylvania, so goes the USA. … But I’m very hopeful at this point.”
A Republican strategist who has close ties to the Trump campaign pointed out that Harris’s visits to these states indicate a sense of concern.
According to the strategist, the former president is taking an offensive stance while his opponents are playing defense on the map. This can be seen in Trump’s recent travels to California, Colorado, and New York, which are seen as his attempts to secure the popular vote.
Later this week, she will be traveling to Detroit, followed by visits to Pennsylvania, Milwaukee, La Crosse, and Green Bay in Wisconsin. She will conclude her week with stops in Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Oakland County in Michigan.
In manufacturing towns along the blue wall, he is emphasizing the Biden administration’s push for electric vehicles. Additionally, he is drawing attention to Harris’ previous support for a fracking ban during the 2020 Democratic primary. However, she has since clarified that she would not ban fracking, recognizing its significance as an essential industry sector in Pennsylvania.
The Harris campaign is recognizing that the race will be tightly contested until Election Day by carefully planning her schedule this week and beyond.
According to Dan Kanninen, the campaign battleground director, the upcoming election will be highly competitive, with very narrow margins. The campaign is determined to put forth their best efforts and leave no stone unturned.
They are relentless in their mission to inform voters about Vice President Harris’ agenda for a New Way Forward and emphasize how it differs significantly from the Trump Project 2025, which they believe will take the country backward.