President Biden is now looking at North Carolina as potentially the most important state in the nation to win in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
While a Democrat hasn’t won North Carolina since Barack Obama in 2008, Biden’s team is now seeing a path to victory due to changing political factors in our state, such as increasing abortion bans, the most expensive governor’s race in history, and steady population growth in urban and suburban areas.
Party leaders are also urging the Biden campaign and DNC to invest heavily in the Tar Heel, arguing that without the state, Republicans lack a clear path to the presidency. They claim that political trends have shifted in Biden’s favor since 2020.
It remains to be seen how serious the national Democrats’ commitment to North Carolina will be, with decisions about significant financial and resource allocation expected next year. The Biden campaign, in an early strategy memo, indicated its plan to dump historical amounts of money into both grassroots and mass media efforts in our state.
“We fully expect North Carolina to be competitive, and plan to run an aggressive and winning campaign that builds on our significant investments throughout the state,” said Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz in an interview with NPR.
In the short term, the DNC will be pushing to mobilize voters by increasing their contribution to the NC Democratic Party by $12,500 a month, a 25% increase from 2020 and a 66% increase from 2016.
The Biden team is hoping the upcoming gubernatorial election may counterbalance some of their financial expenses across the state, which is anticipated to host the costliest governor’s race in its history. Democrats are crossing their fingers for a Trump-Mark Robinson combo. Robinson, NC’s Republican deputy governor, is a staunch advocate for a complete prohibition on abortion and a vocal critic of same-sex marriage.
“A Donald Trump-Mark Robinson ticket is something Democrats look forward to here. Both of those guys have an ability to repel swing voters like nothing else,” said Democratic political consultant Morgan Jackson in an interview with Politico.
The extent of financial investment by national Democrats in the state could hinge on Biden’s competitor. While a Biden-Trump rematch is likely, according to Jordan Shaw, former campaign manager for Sen. Thom Tillis, it’s still early. Heavy Democrat investment would be logical if Trump is the candidate, but Shaw doesn’t foresee a Biden victory in the state if other GOP contenders like Tim Scott or Nikki Haley emerge on top of Trump.
What do you think about the 2024 presidential race?
Do you think North Carolina will become a vital swing state in the upcoming election?
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