Several Democrats in key battleground states and districts are opting out of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago where VP Kamala Harris will be anointed to concentrate on their own campaigns, according to Punchbowl News. However, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) have confirmed to Punchbowl that they will attend the convention. Both are running in states that former President Donald Trump won in 2020 and is anticipated to win again this year.
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who is campaigning alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has also announced that she will skip the convention, according to Punchbowl News. Nevada is considered a battleground state, the outlet reported. In the House, Reps. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Josh Harder, D-Calif., and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., all told Punchbowl they are skipping the convention.
Caraveo won the election by a margin of less than two points in 2022. Golden’s district supported Trump in 2020, while Gluesenkamp Perez’s district would have voted for Trump in 2020 in its current configuration. Other Democrats in tight races — Reps. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, Susie Lee, D-Nev., Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., and Susan Wild, D-Pa. — told Punchbowl their schedules aren’t yet finalized for convention week. Two other senators locked in tight races — Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. and Bob Casey, D-Pa. — told Punchbowl they will attend part of the convention.
Recent polls from the well-regarded Trafalgar Group and InsiderAdvantage reveal former President Donald Trump gaining traction against Vice President Kamala Harris in crucial swing states. The data comes from Robert Cahaly of the Trafalgar Group and Matt Towery of InsiderAdvantage, co-hosts of the acclaimed PollingPlus podcast. Their firms are known for their accuracy in previous elections, a reputation validated by RealClearPolitics.
In Michigan, the race is closely contested, with Harris holding a narrow lead at 49% compared to Trump’s 47%. Meanwhile, Trump leads Harris in Wisconsin with 49% to her 48%. Trafalgar Group’s polling indicates a broader trend of Trump gaining ground in other key regions.
In Pennsylvania, Trump is ahead with 46% to Harris’s 44%. A similar trend is seen in Arizona, where Trump leads 48% to Harris’s 47%. Trump also maintains a lead in Nevada, with 48% compared to Harris’s 45%, and in North Carolina, where he stands at 49% to Harris’s 45%. These results suggest Trump has strong support in key battleground states, highlighting potential vulnerabilities in Harris’s campaign strategy and demonstrating a resilient base for Trump across multiple crucial states.
Polling data indicates that a notable share of the electorate remains undecided or supports other candidates. In Pennsylvania and Nevada, undecided voters and those backing alternative candidates constitute 10% and 7%, respectively—sizable enough to influence the outcome as the race develops. While Trump can take comfort in his steady support in key battleground states, the coming weeks are likely to reveal more as both campaigns adapt their strategies to the evolving electoral landscape.
Former President Trump rallied supporters in Montana Thursday night, aiming to invigorate the Republican party’s prospects in a tightly contested Senate race this year. “I hear he’s going to make a comeback at the Democrat convention,” Trump joked of Biden during the rally. “He’s going to walk into the room and he’s going to say, ‘I want my presidency back. I want another chance to debate Trump. I want another chance.’”
At his rally in Bozeman, Montana, Trump also took a pointed jab at Governor Walz. “He ordered tampons to be put into boys’ bathrooms. Do we have any children here? Please close your ears. He ordered tampons in boys’ bathrooms, OK?” Trump said of the Minnesota governor. “So when you’re commander in chief, you don’t go to the run and hide away from the press. You know, they run and they wanna go on a record that’s a fake record. They have a fake record, both of them. How ’bout the new guy? How do you like him?” Trump added.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.