US Election 2024: In all swing states, why Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are eyeing Pennsylvania the most?

KATHMANDU: On the final day of a fiercely contested US presidential election, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris confidently predicted victory as they campaigned across Pennsylvania.

The race has been marked by dramatic twists, including two assassination attempts on Trump and a felony conviction for the former Republican president. Harris’s unexpected rise to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden, 81, bowed out of the race under mounting pressure from within his own party.

Since March, more than $2.6 billion has been spent on campaign ads aimed at swaying voters, according to AdImpact, an analytics firm. Despite this massive spending, opinion polls show the race remains exceptionally tight, with Trump, 78, and Harris, 60, nearly even in support. Given the razor-thin margins, the outcome may not be known for days after Tuesday’s election, and Trump has already indicated he will challenge any potential defeat, as he did in 2020.

Both candidates focused their efforts on Pennsylvania on Monday, urging supporters who haven’t voted yet to turn out on Election Day. Pennsylvania holds the largest number of Electoral College votes among the seven battleground states expected to decide the election, making it a critical focal point in the final push for votes.

Why does Pennsylvania matter?

Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—often referred to as the “blue wall” for Democrats—are essential to Kamala Harris’s chances of securing the presidency. Among these, Pennsylvania holds particular importance, with 19 electoral votes at stake, making it the state’s largest electoral prize. In 2016, Donald Trump managed to flip all three states, which played a key role in his victory. However, in 2020, Joe Biden was able to reclaim them, with Pennsylvania’s pivotal role securing his win.

The results of the last three presidential elections in Pennsylvania are as follows:

2020: Joe Biden (D) defeated Donald Trump (R) by 1.16%.

2016: Donald Trump (R) defeated Hillary Clinton (D) by 0.72%.

2012: Barack Obama (D) defeated Mitt Romney (R) by 5.38%.

These results highlight Pennsylvania’s critical role as a battleground state. The narrow margins in 2016 and 2020 demonstrate its significance in the overall outcome of presidential races.

What did Trump say?

In Pittsburgh, Trump addressed a large crowd at an arena, delivering what his campaign described as his final closing message to voters just hours before Election Day.

“We’ve been waiting four years for this,” said Trump, who mounted a 2024 comeback bid after losing the 2020 election to Biden. Trump pushed economic themes in his Pittsburgh speech, saying Harris would bring economic misery if she is elected.

“We’re going to win the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and it’s going to be over,” said Trump, who later annouced on stage he had been endorsed by podcaster Joe Rogan, Reuters reported.

In Allentown, Harris confidently predicted victory and vowed to be a president for “all Americans,” while specifically addressing the city’s large Puerto Rican community, which had been angered by derogatory comments made by a comedian at a Trump rally the previous week.

Later, Harris went door-knocking in Reading before holding a brief rally in Pittsburgh, where pop star Katy Perry performed. She was scheduled to conclude the day with a star-studded event in Philadelphia, the report noted.

On the final full day of the campaign, Trump made stops in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, before heading back to his home in Palm Beach, Florida, to vote and await the election results.

Meanwhile, Harris had five campaign stops scheduled in Pennsylvania, including visits to Reading and Pittsburgh, where Trump had also campaigned. She was set to conclude the day with a rally at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, featuring performances by Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, and Oprah Winfrey.

(With inputs from Reuters)