Democratic circles are growing increasingly concerned that Vice President Harris may be losing ground in the US presidential race against former President Trump.
According to a report in Hill, while Democrats still believe Harris has a chance to win, the margins in the seven key battleground states are extremely tight, and any shift or polling error could be decisive.However, recent polling suggests that the race may be moving in Trump’s direction, particularly in the last two weeks.
The “blue wall” states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, which typically move together in presidential elections, are showing signs of vulnerability for Democrats. Senate races in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are now considered toss-ups, according to the Cook Political Report. Harris has been losing ground to Trump in polls, especially in Wisconsin, while doubts among Arab American voters in Michigan are causing concern for Democrats.
“Everyone keeps saying, ‘It’s close.’ Yes, it’s close, but are things trending our way? No. And no one wants to openly admit that,” one Democratic strategist told The Hill.
“Could we still win? Maybe. Should anyone be even slightly optimistic right now? No,” he added.
Another potential path to victory for Harris involves winning Pennsylvania, losing another blue wall state, but securing North Carolina and Nevada. However, these states, along with Arizona and Georgia, are not firmly in her camp.
Despite the discouraging news, some Democrats remain optimistic about Harris’s chances, pointing to her robust campaign schedule in the final days of the race. Harris is expected to spend most of her time in battleground states, and her upcoming appearance in Houston to discuss abortion rights is seen as a powerful moment that could resonate with women voters across the country.
Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons praised Harris for running “a spectacular campaign,” taking risks, and effectively turning Republicans like Cheney into allies. Brad Bannon noted that while the race is a dead heat, “Harris is more popular than Trump, which means her vote has more growth potential than he does.”
However, both campaigns face challenges in the closing days, and the outcome could go either way. A former Obama White House aide summed up the situation: “It’s sort of the opposite of 2016, which was, ‘How could this happen?’ This feels more like, ‘Of course this happened.’ … We just don’t know which yet.”