The Race to 270: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and the Seven States
The 2024 Presidential election is just a few short days away on Tuesday, November 5th. With seven battleground states on the table: Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin, this has become the most expensive election in history. Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are gearing up to see who can win the race to 270.
Arizona went blue for the first time in 2020 since Bill Clinton in the 90s. However, Republicans do have more registered voters in the state, so the group of people who are unregistered could decide who gets Arizona’s 11 electoral votes.
Georgia was won by the Democratic party last election by just a hair. Trump has met with the state’s popular governor, but the state is essentially a tossup. This state will also give people a good insight into where black voters may lean.
Michigan is supposed to be Democratic through and through. However, Trump changed that in 2016. After a change back to form in 2020, Michigan remains a battleground state. Especially when it comes to the topic of Muslim voters. The Biden Administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas War has been less than satisfactory for many Muslim voters. The 200,000 registered Muslim voters of Michigan have the opportunity to show if they will make that the reason this state turns red.
According to polls, 71% of Nevada voters want lower taxes. Donald Trump’s Project 2025 supports lower taxes. While we don’t fully know if Vice President Harris’s plan will raise or lower taxes, it is probable that it will at least lower taxes less than the Republican Party’s tax plan. Nevada has generally been blue, but with this promise of lower taxes, will voters move?
North Carolina is the only swing state on this list that Trump won in 2020. Its governor endorsed Trump; its former governor, Niki Haley, quit her campaign due to Donald Trump’s massive support in the region. The state will likely go red once more, but Democrats have certainly made their mark to try and swing the state.
Pennsylvania is home to Benjamin Franklin, a passionate football fanbase, and the 19 electoral votes that could decide the election. Pennsylvania has been the cornerstone of this year’s election, Trump’s assassination attempts, fracking debates, and both candidates breaking records with the amount of money they have spent in this state. Fracking is a key issue in the state: Harris has repeatedly said she won’t ban it, but Trump looks stronger on the issue. Due to its two major cities and lots of rural and suburban neighborhoods, Pennsylvania will likely predict the election.
Wisconsin is like Michigan in that it is normally blue, but Trump won it in 2016. It’s pretty simple on what both candidates have been focusing on for this state. Harris will look to gain the major cities such as Milwaukee. Trump will look to target the suburbs, where he can appeal the most.
The Election is upon us! And this could possibly be one of the most history-changing elections ever. There are seven swing-states on the table, two very popular candidates, and one seat in the Oval Office. The question is: who will win the race to 270?
