Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is expressing concerns that her $1 billion fundraising total may fall short in securing victory in the forthcoming November election, as reported by The Washington Post on Wednesday. Campaign officials are apprehensive that the substantial funds raised in under 80 days since the campaign’s inception may not be sufficient to sway key swing states that are currently within the polling margin of error, according to sources familiar with Harris’ campaign strategy. Although the campaign has significantly outspent former President Donald Trump, there appears to be a growing momentum for Republicans in these critical swing states amidst a tightly contested race.
“Talking about this type of big money doesn’t convey the sense of urgency to do every single thing in all of the big and small ways,” one person involved told The Washington Post. “We are in the margin of error. This will come down to grinding it out.”
Harris experienced a remarkable influx of $126 million within just three days following President Joe Biden’s suspension of his campaign in July, as reported by The Washington Post. Furthermore, the campaign, along with affiliated groups, amassed $361 million in August. Nevertheless, the polling results indicate a highly competitive race between the two candidates.
Polling data from Pennsylvania reveals Trump leading by a mere 0.3 points, according to averages from RealClearPolitics (RCP). In Georgia, Trump holds a slight advantage with a 0.8-point lead in the RCP average. Similarly, Michigan shows a slight tilt towards Trump, with a 0.7-point lead, despite Biden having won the state in 2020 by just under 3 points, based on official results.
Groups aligned with Harris have invested more than double the amount in advertising compared to those aligned with Trump from the Democratic National Convention through October 4, as noted by The Washington Post. Sources indicate that this advertising expenditure is viewed not as a luxury but as a critical necessity to secure victory over Trump in November.
The economy continues to be the foremost concern among voters, with the highest percentage of individuals categorizing it as “extremely important” since October 2008, during the Great Recession, according to Gallup polling released on Wednesday. Trump is perceived as more trustworthy on economic matters, with a trust rating of 54% compared to Harris’ 45%. Additionally, it has been noted that not since 1992 have more Americans identified as Republicans than Democrats in Gallup surveys conducted in the third quarter prior to the election, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
“There have never been so many electoral college votes in play so late in the cycle, which means that our strong fundraising and volunteer enthusiasm are not guaranteed to be enough to fully reach voters everywhere they are,” another source told The Washington Post.
