Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will make some of their final election pitches to voters on Wednesday in North Carolina.
This swing state with a Democratic governor has backed Republican presidential hopefuls for over a decade.
A Battleground State
North Carolina has 16 Electoral College votes, making it one of the make-or-break battleground states that could decide who wins the November 5 election.
The contest between Harris and Trump is too close to call nationally.
Last month’s hurricane damage has made North Carolina’s results especially hard to predict.
Rallies By Harris And Trump
On Wednesday, Harris will be in the fast-growing state capital Raleigh, with about 480,000 people.
Trump will hold a rally in Rocky Mount, a city of 50,000 people.
Harris, a Democrat, and Trump, a Republican, are battling for a state that Trump won by under 1.5 percentage points in 2020.
Their visits follow Harris’ biggest ever rally, which took place on Tuesday evening in Washington.
Dangers Of Returning Trump To Office
At this rally, Harris warned of the dangers of returning Trump to office.
She spoke at the spot near the White House where on January 6, 2021, Trump told his supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol and to “fight.”
At stake in the election is who will run the world’s richest and most powerful country.
Key Issues
Harris and Trump diverge on support for Ukraine and NATO, abortion rights, taxes, basic democratic principles and tariffs that could trigger trade wars.
Trump Warns EU
Talking about trade on Tuesday, Trump explicitly mentioned the European Union. “They’re brutal,” he said.
He added, “They sell millions and millions of cars in the United States. No, no, no, they are going to have to pay a big price.”
Meanwhile the Trump campaign late on Tuesday accused President Joe Biden of referring to Trump supporters as “garbage.”
According to a transcript posted by a White House spokesperson on X, Biden said: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s – his – his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and it’s un-American.”
Biden said later he was talking about the language used, not Trump’s fans.
Long Wait For Results
Residents in North Carolina, especially in the rural, hard-hit western region, are still trying to put their lives back together after the devastating hurricane.
Many of the counties lean Republican in the region.
Representative Andy Harris of Maryland, who chairs the hardline House Republican Freedom Caucus, said last week that given the destruction caused, the state legislature should preemptively declare that Trump won the state’s 16 Electoral College votes, to avoid “disenfranchised voters.”
The state’s governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, criticized Andy Harris on CNN on Tuesday.
“North Carolina’s electoral votes will be reflected by the votes from the ballot box,” he said. “We want to make sure that everybody… has an opportunity to have their voice heard.”
Trump Leading Harris By Only One Percentage Point
Trump leads Kamala Harris by just 1 percentage point in North Carolina, according to a polling average by FiveThirtyEight.
The last time the state backed a Democratic presidential nominee was Barack Obama in 2008.
If the election is as close as polls suggest, the outcome in North Carolina may remain unclear for a week or more.
Absentee ballots that arrive on November 5, and those from overseas and military voters, are tallied during the 10-day canvass period that follows Election Day.
In 2020, media outlets did not call North Carolina for Trump until November 13, 10 days after the election.
Registered Voters Of North Carolina Have Already Cast Ballots
Over a third of North Carolina’s registered voters have already cast ballots in the 2024 election , according to the state’s board of election.
Harris To Travel To Pennsylvania And Wisconsin
Later on Wednesday, Harris will travel to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, two other states in contention.
Her Madison, Wisconsin rally will feature performances from musicians, including the band ‘Mumford & Sons’.
Trump will also be in Wisconsin for a rally with former pro quarterback Brett Favre.
