The highly contested battle for the 2024 U.S. presidency has kept the seven swing states at bay, as all of these key states appear to be up for grabs: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The combined states command 93 electoral votes and so, a fine move by each would determine what would be the last mile towards the 270 needed out of the total 538. It is here in these battlegrounds that Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate former President Donald Trump center their campaigns. Since there have been many close contests in these states in the past, they can be the swing for the office seat in 2024.
States are sometimes known as swing states if their tendency to shift their support from one party to another in the elections is observable. This is why they tend to have a very big influence when elections go close. Generally, this is where all the campaigns pour their efforts to make their case known to voters and take home the votes needed for the presidency. As the race tightened, Harris and Trump became laser-like in targeting these battlegrounds. Both of them have gone to hold a blitz of last-day rallies in Pennsylvania, the biggest of all swing states that holds 19 electoral votes.
Why “Blue Wall” States Matter for Kamala Harris
Out of seven swing states, it will all be on Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin that determine if Harris takes over the White House. These collectively known as the “Blue Wall,” were Democratic until they recently proved receptive enough to swing Republican, albeit very narrowly. Indeed Trump captured them all in the elections, breaking a long-term, historic Democratic winning streak going back decades. To start getting toward the presidency again in 2020 Biden snatched all three away; although he did that not exactly with ease because again these states are somewhat flaily. Harris will, in short, need these states.
Pennsylvania (19 Electoral Votes)
One of the largest swing states, with 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania is a must-win for both candidates. Although Pennsylvania has reliably been a Democratic stronghold for much of its history, Trump’s narrow win here in 2016-by only 0.7%-put this critical state on the national battleground map. Biden reclaimed it for the Democrats in 2020 by a relatively modest 1.2%, which still makes this state highly competitive. This, combined with its population, is a win that Harris badly needs. Both campaigns have courted Pennsylvania’s sprawling working-class and unionized populations so extensively that they could be the difference for this state.
Michigan (15 Electoral Votes)
Michigan is also part of the “Blue Wall” and has trended toward the candidate that ultimately won the White House in most elections. Trump won the state handily in 2016, ending a streak of Democratic victories that dated back to 1988. But Biden took Michigan back in 2020, partly with the aid of the state’s large Arab-American population. Next year, holding Michigan’s 15 electoral votes will form a crucial part of winning strategy for Harris. Next year, losing it would be too much of a stumbling block in getting to 270.
Wisconsin is also another state with 10 electoral votes that has been a bitter battleground. The last two presidential elections in the state resulted in very narrow margins and outcomes. Harris needs to win it because a flip in such a close race will act as a critical swing for winning the race. As with Michigan and Pennsylvania, losing Wisconsin would make Harris’s way to the White House much more complicated, which is why both candidates have intensified their efforts to win over Wisconsin’s diverse electorate.
Other Key Battlegrounds in the 2024 Race
In addition to the “Blue Wall” states, four other swing states have played an enormous role in this year’s elections. These are Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Nevada-all of which have different political landscape characteristics and voter bases and make them unpredictable.
Arizona (11 Electoral Votes)
Biden won Arizona last year, becoming the first Democrat to carry the state since 1952-a sign of how important Arizona is going to be as a swing district-and it’s a great, high-profile battleground election, with a lot of suburbs and Latinos, taking in 11 electoral votes. In this very, very tight race, an extra 16 electoral votes might come into play for either candidate there in Georgia.
Georgia (16 Electoral Votes)
Another state Biden won in 2020, Georgia’s narrow Democratic victory marked the first time a Democrat had won here since 1992. High turnout among African American voters was a major factor in Biden’s victory, and Democrats are hoping to do the same again in 2024. Georgia’s 16 electoral votes could be instrumental in boosting Harris’s total and reinforcing Democratic momentum in the Sun Belt, a region traditionally dominated by Republicans.
North Carolina (16 Electoral Votes)
For a long time, North Carolina was considered a stronghold for Republicans, but this election cycle has been more competitive due to demographic changes and growing cities. In both 2016 and 2020, Trump carried North Carolina, though neither victory was as large as polls indicated. The state is likely to be a battleground again this election, with each campaign looking to outflank the other in this closely contested electorate.
The Tar Heel State’s 16 electoral votes are sure to be a battleground, with both campaigns doing their level best to win this shifting electorate.
Nevada (6 Electoral Votes)
Nevada may seem like a blue state, but recently it is indicating some areas for potential growth in favor of Republicans. Economic turmoil in this state, primarily regarding job loss and issues in recovering post-COVID, has rendered the race highly competitive. The presidential candidate Biden edged past with just about 33,600 votes back in 2020; given today’s economic turmoil, those 6 electoral votes might sway in either direction.
Plotting Your Route to Success
Analysts believe that Harris will need to accumulate approximately 45 electoral votes from these battleground states along with safe states that are likely to flip for the Democratic candidate in order to win. She can keep Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin – the so-called “Blue Wall” – which would give her a comfortable cushion toward reaching 270 electoral votes.
For Trump, the key to winning is to repeat essentially the same strategy he has used in his 2016 campaign: win back each of the key battlegrounds he first won, such as Pennsylvania and Michigan. Trump must also win North Carolina and similarly Republican-leaning states to assemble a path to 270 electoral votes.
Both the campaigns have upped their ante in these states during the final days before the election, digging in to disaffiliated “Blue Wall” voters and Sun Belt Americans. Harris was stressing her campaign on themes of unity, community, and progress to consolidate support within the “Blue Wall” and the Sun Belt. Trump was targeting his campaign on criticizing the performance of the current administration under his economic policies and promising an era of economic recovery if elected.
The Epic Battle Ahead
The two campaigns will look closely at these seven swing states as Election Day approaches. Likewise, the country at large will be watching as these seven states determine which direction leadership in America will go for the next four years: Harris or Trump.
Genre:World News
Tags: #USElection2024
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#KamalaHarris
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