In the span of three short weeks, Joe Biden’s fight to retain the White House for a second term came crashing down after a disastrous performance in the first presidential debate on June 28th. On July 21st, Biden ended his re-election campaign and immediately endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to replace him. If elected, Harris would break numerous barriers, becoming the first female president, as well as the first Black woman and Asian American woman to win.
The Trump campaign has continued its preparations for a third consecutive presidential run, but it has been hit with numerous obstacles in recent months. On July 13th, shooter Thomas Crooks failed an attempt on Trump’s life at one of his rallies in Butler, Pennsylvania, that left one person dead. At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Trump announced his running mate, JD Vance, the junior senator from Ohio. Vance has only been a senator since 2023 and has quickly risen among Republicans with his pro-Trump policy positions and combative personality. However, Vance’s unpredictable behavior has become a liability on the campaign trail, as various clips from 2016 have emerged where Vance called himself a “never Trump guy” and referred to Trump as “America’s Hitler.” Resurfaced interview footage has also seen Vance call women without children “childless cat ladies.” Vance has been an opponent of abortion and is seen by many as a younger version of Trump.
Since Biden dropped out of the race, Kamala Harris has been energetic and ready to take on the challenge ahead, injecting enthusiasm into a previously dull race. Harris’ rallies have been passionate and fun, and Democratic voters who felt Biden was too old to be president have returned to the party under Harris’ leadership. Harris had only a couple weeks to decide upon a running mate, ultimately landing on Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, a former Marine whose rise to the vice presidency was not predicted by many experts and was not on the shortlist until the later days of the race. Walz’s record as governor includes various progressive policies such as new climate initiatives, enshrining abortion rights into the state’s Constitution, and more protections for transgender people. Walz is a former high school teacher and football coach, and he founded his school’s first gay-straight alliance in 1999. He has a consistently progressive record as an ally.
At the time of writing, Harris leads in both national and swing state polling. According to ABC News polling, Harris has a three-point lead over Trump nationwide, narrowly within the margin of error. In swing states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Michigan–states that are likely to decide the outcome of the election–Harris has narrow leads in Wisconsin and Michigan, while Trump leads Georgia. Both candidates are tied in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
As the race for the presidency heats up as Election Day nears, the battle between Trump and Harris may hinge the debate between the candidates on September 10th. While Harris leads nationally, Trump should not be underestimated. Throughout his 2016 campaign, Trump was behind in polling until Election Day. As America’s choice for the future of the nation nears, one of the most high-stakes elections in American history is far from over.
This article also appears in our September 2024 print edition.
