As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the outcome is once again going to hinge on a few key swing states. These battleground states—Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—are where the fight for the White House will be won or lost.
And here’s the kicker: Vice President Kamala Harris isn’t exactly riding high with voters in these states. In fact, she’s struggling big time, especially among the young and Latino voters who were crucial to Joe Biden’s victory in 2020.
Take Arizona, for example. In 2020, young voters there turned out in record numbers for Biden, helping to flip the state blue. But fast-forward to 2024, and Harris is having a much tougher time winning over the same crowd. Voters are feeling the pain of the Biden administration’s policies—from inflation to the border crisis—and they’re not buying Harris’ polished political rhetoric.
She can talk about “building back better” all she wants, but empty words won’t erase the fallout from the last four years. Voters want action, and they’re not seeing it from Harris or the rest of the Biden administration.
Vice President Kamala Harris has been struggling with young voters in the swing state of Arizona going into Election Day.
While young voters turned out in record numbers for Joe Biden in Arizona back in 2020, Kamala Harris seems to be having trouble repeating his performance and Democrat strategists fear former President Trump’s efforts to capture that voting bloc have paid off, especially with Latinos. [Source: Breitbart]
Kamala Harris’ struggle with voters isn’t just limited to Arizona. Swing states across the country are becoming a headache for her campaign. Let’s talk about Michigan, another crucial battleground. In 2020, Biden secured Michigan with strong support from Arab-American and Muslim voters.
But now? That support is rapidly evaporating, and it’s largely due to the Biden administration’s handling of international crises—particularly its support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
The New York Times recently reported that Arab-American and Muslim voters in Michigan are turning their backs on Harris in large numbers. This is a serious problem when you consider that Michigan was decided by just a handful of votes in 2020. And it’s not just Michigan.
Young Latinos in Arizona, who make up a whopping 40% of newly eligible voters, are also cooling on Harris. In fact, recent polling shows former President Trump leading Harris by five points in Arizona. Even Democrats are starting to panic about Harris’ poor performance with key voter groups.
And here’s the twist: some of these disillusioned voters aren’t even planning to vote for Trump—they’re just sitting this one out. The executive director of Keep Arizona Blue, Jacob Marson, summed it up best when he said young voters are feeling completely “disenfranchised.”
They’ve been promised change, but all they see is more of the same. Inflation is still sky-high, the border is a mess, and gas prices are gouging their wallets. To these voters, Harris looks like just another politician offering more of the same empty promises.
This is where things get really interesting. Kamala Harris isn’t just losing ground with young voters and Latinos in Arizona—her support is also plummeting in Michigan, and that’s bad news for her campaign. The New York Times profiled a significant split in Michigan’s Arab and Muslim communities, which have historically backed Democrats.
Four years ago, Biden won Michigan thanks to strong support from these voters. But now, that support is fading fast, and Harris is left scrambling to pick up the pieces.
So, what’s driving this shift? It’s a combination of domestic and foreign policy failures that have hit home for many voters. Arab and Muslim voters in Michigan are upset with the Biden administration’s unwavering support for Israel, while other groups feel the economic pinch of inflation and the administration’s inability to secure the southern border. And despite Harris’ attempts to rally support, these issues aren’t going away.
In Arizona, it’s much of the same story. Young voters, especially Latinos, don’t feel like they’re better off than they were four years ago. In fact, many feel they’re worse off. Harris’ campaign is desperately trying to reconnect with this key demographic, but so far, it’s not working.
Polling shows her trailing Trump by five points, while Democratic Senate candidate Ruben Gallego is leading his Republican opponent Kari Lake by seven points. That’s a significant gap and a clear indication that voters may be willing to back down-ballot Democrats but won’t support Harris at the top of the ticket.
Author: Bo Dogan
