Michigan swing-county voters discuss the appeal of JD Vance's Ohio upbringing
Voters in Wayne County, Michigan, believe that Ohio Sen. JD Vance's Midwestern roots can help former President Donald Trump win rust belt battlegrounds like Michigan.
Presidential and vice presidential candidates have already doubled their events in Michigan during the 2024 election cycle compared with the 2016 and 2020 elections.
The Harris and Trump campaigns have combined for 46 events in the swing state of Michigan with a week to go before the election, far outpacing the 22 events the state saw in 2016 and 21 it hosted in 2021.
The 2024 data, which is continuously updated by the Associated Press, counts events held in the state by both candidates for president, their running mates, and events where the entire ticket is present for the event. Data for the 2016 and 2020 elections was compiled by Fair Vote and also counts events for both presidential candidates and their running mates.
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Former President Trump concludes a rally at Saginaw Valley State University on Oct. 3, 2024, in Saginaw, Michigan. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Former President Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance have combined for 26 visits to the state, while Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have combined for 20.
The visit count in Michigan comes as the state has emerged as one of the key battlegrounds in what promises to be a tight election. According to the Real Clear Politics polling average as of Monday, Trump holds a narrow 0.1 point lead in the state.
The betting odds for Michigan are nearly as close, with ElectionBettingOdds.com showing Trump with a 53% chance to win Michigan, with Harris coming in at a 47% chance. Meanwhile, the Fox News Power rankings continue to rate Michigan as a toss-up.
Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak during a rally at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Michigan has been one of the most critical swing states in the last three elections, with Trump narrowly winning the state in 2016 by less than half a percentage point. Trump would then drop the state to President Biden in 2020 by less than three percentage points.
The importance of the state and how narrow the margins have been in recent years have shown up in the amount of time the candidates are spending there. Michigan’s 22 total visits came in fifth place in 2016, ranking behind Florida (71), North Carolina (55), Pennsylvania (54) and Ohio (48).
A similar story played out in 2021, when Michigan was the fourth most visited state, coming in behind Pennsylvania (47), Florida (31) and North Carolina (25).
Sen. JD Vance speaks during a campaign rally at the Elite Jet at Contact Aviation facility on Oct. 24, 2024, in Waterford, Michigan. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
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Only Pennsylvania has received more total visits from the campaigns than Michigan in 2024, coming in at 63 total visits as of Oct. 28, the AP data shows.
The five other key battlegrounds in this year’s election have also seen a high amount of attention, with North Carolina (35 events), Wisconsin (33), Arizona (23), Nevada (20), and Georgia (18) rounding out the top states, the AP data shows.
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