The countdown to the 2024 US presidential election has entered its final phase after dramatic twists.
WASHINGTON – The final 100-day sprint to the 2024 US election began on July 28, marked by an unexpected turn of events that have reshaped the race. An assassination attempt and President Joe Biden’s abrupt exit from the race have led to what is now considered the shortest presidential campaign in modern history.
The exit of Biden, burdened by concerns over his age and mental fitness, opened the door for Kamala Harris, who quickly unified the Democratic Party and received a significant boost in fundraising and polling. Harris, at 59, now represents a younger and more dynamic option for voters, unlike the previous stale contest between two older, white male candidates.
Republican strategist Matt Terrill sees this election as one where independent and undecided voters in key battleground states will play a pivotal role, with issues like inflation, immigration, crime, and the economy taking center stage. He believes Trump is currently strong on these issues but emphasizes that the election will ultimately be a referendum on the Biden-Harris administration.
With the Democratic National Convention in mid-August expected to celebrate Harris’s candidacy, the race has become far more competitive than it appeared just a month ago. Harris’s campaign held a massive rally in Wisconsin and raised over US$120 million, narrowing Trump’s lead in polling.
Despite the momentum, Harris’s campaign faces the challenge of overcoming the historical disadvantage of running with an unpopular incumbent vice president. Critics, including Trump’s pollster Tony Fabrizio, warn that Harris’s “honeymoon” period may soon end, and voters will refocus on her partnership with Biden.
As both campaigns ramp up, Harris plans to continue fundraising, while Trump is preparing rallies in battleground states such as Minnesota, with the election now effectively down to the wire.
