ATLANTA — With the announcement that Vice President Kamala Harris is returning to Georgia, this time as a presidential candidate, political analysts are saying once again that the path to the White House is through Georgia.
The latest polls in the Peach State show that Harris and former President Donald Trump are essentially tied in Georgia, shrinking the lead that Trump had over President Joe Biden before he announced he was stepping out of the race.
So don’t be surprised to see both candidates and their allies making several visits to Georgia over the next few months.
Political analyst Bill Crane said Harris has some work to do.
“She is … trying to reinvigorate and charge up that base and make Georgia not only a battleground state but to close the gap that opened up with Joe Biden and Donald Trump,” Crane said.
Harris has been to Georgia several times over the last few months stumping for Biden. Now she has to stump for herself.
“She’s the presumptive nominee. She’s the lead fundraiser. Assuming she is successful with the nomination at the convention, she will be the voice and face of the party,” Crane said.
Though we have not heard yet of any more events with Trump, he has been to Georgia several times over the last few months as well.
The former president held a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday, marking his first public campaign event since Biden dropped out of the 2024 matchup and Harris became the Democrats’ likely nominee.
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“So now we have a new victim to defeat: Lyin’ Kamala Harris,” Trump said, labeling her “the most incompetent and far-left vice president in American history.”
Trump called her a “radical left lunatic” and said she was “crazy” for her positions on abortion and immigration. He repeatedly mispronounced the first name of the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent likely to lead a major party’s presidential ticket.
Trump’s speech signaled the next stage for the campaign may be especially brutal and personal, even as some GOP leaders warned Republican allies not to use overtly racist and sexist attacks against Harris.
He blamed her for what he portrays as the Biden administration’s failures, particularly security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Harris’ campaign released a statement after Trump’s speech describing it as “unhinged, weird and rambling.”
“Unity is over for Donald Trump,” said campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa, referring to unity pledges made during the Republican National Convention.
Harris is expected to make abortion a key part of her campaign, looking to present herself to voters as someone who will fight against abortion restrictions. Earlier this week, she said she “trusts women to make decisions about their own bodies.”
“These extremists want to take us back, but we are not going back. All across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on assault on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights,” Harris said during a rally in Wisconsin this week. “In this moment, I believe we face a choice between two different visions for our nation, one focused on the future, the other focused on the past.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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