2 weeks Ago By Esme Murphy
MINNEAPOLIS — Experts say the 2024 presidential election is virtually as close as it gets. And with less than a week until Election Day, both campaigns are doing all they can to get more supporters to the polls. "It was always going to be an extremely close race," Democratic strategist Abou Amara said.
However, Amara says recent polls indicate former President Donald Trump has gained ground on Vice President Kamala Harris. "Kamala's team is going to have to figure out how do you contrast [from Trump] but at the same time affirmatively set forth your vision to close that gap that the polling is showing," Amara said. Republican strategist Amy Koch says the Harris campaign has focused too much on Trump and has not differentiated themselves enough from President Joe Biden's administration.
"Things that people are thinking about right now as they go to the polls is the Biden administration, and the Biden-Harris administration is being hung with it," Koch said. Koch thinks Harris got an initial boost after she replaced Biden in the race, but Trump has since closed the gap. Polls also show the presidential race in Wisconsin is within one percentage point.
"I think both parties know that western Wisconsin is a crucial swing region," said Anthony Chergosky, associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Chergosky described the western part of the state as one of the "swingiest regions in one of the swingiest states in the nation." The three experts also discussed different local races across both states and how tight those are, which are featured in the embedded videos.
CBS News Minnesota will offer live election coverage from 6 through the 10 p.m. news on Tuesday.
Esme Murphy, a reporter and Sunday morning anchor for WCCO-TV, has been a member of the WCCO-TV staff since December 1990. She is also a weekend talk show host on WCCO Radio. Born and raised in New York City, Esme ventured into reporting after graduating from Harvard University.
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