Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ presumptive presidential nominee, is a fresh enough face that she can expand her support among a sliver of undecided voters in seven battleground states, which will help pave the way to victory over former President Donald Trump, her campaign chairwoman said a memo Wednesday.
Harris for President Chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon said the vice president, who is running nearly tied or slightly trailing Mr. Trump in most polls, has various pathways to win through key battleground states, “with a popular message and a strong record on the issues,” particularly abortion.
“Vice President Harris enters the presidential race with clear advantages among voters critical to victory,” Ms. O’Malley Dillon said in the release.
Ms. Harris, 59, who has locked up the delegates needed to replace President Biden, 81, at the top of the ticket, is running well ahead of Mr. Trump when it comes to Black and Latino voters.
She’s running 54 points ahead of Mr. Trump among those groups and is more popular than the former president among undecided, independent and third-party Latinos, Ms. O’Malley Dillon said.
The vice president also is in position to beat Mr. Trump when it comes to female voters, with a net favorability that’s 21 points better than the GOP nominee.
Ms. Harris launched her campaign Tuesday at a rally in Wisconsin, one of the seven battleground states. She addressed a raucous crowd of 3,500 in Milwaukee, tailoring her message to middle-class voters.
Ms. O’Malley Dillon said in the memo that Ms. Harris has more room to expand her support than Mr. Trump, who some believe has maxed out on his voter base.
About 7% of voters are undecided, and whom they pick will help decide the election.
Ms. O’Malley Dillon believes Ms. Harris has the better chance of winning them over, particularly because she has championed pro-abortion messaging and tied the GOP to a plan to curb not only abortion, but also limit access to other reproductive care.
The undecided, Ms. O’Malley Dillon said, are mostly Black, Latino and under-30 voters.
“This race is more fluid now — the vice president is well-known but less well-known than both Trump and President Biden, particularly among Dem-leaning constituencies,” Ms. O’Malley Dillon wrote.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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