As concerns continue to mount that the “Blue Wall” may be crumbling, Democratic governors of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan went on a bus tour this week that was swiftly organized to try to get the vote out for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Those three states are considered “must wins” for Harris if she wants to take the White House next month.
However, it appears as though Harris is slipping behind GOP nominee Donald Trump in those states, which has many powerful liberals scrambling.
On Thursday, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer all went to Flint, Michigan, where they were joined by Jaime Harrison, the chairman of the national Democratic Party.
While there, they sat for a joint interview with The Associated Press and acknowledged how enormous the stakes are in this year’s election. At the same time, they dismissed suggestions that the effort they are undertaking is a sign that they are worried about the outcome.
Shapiro, who at one time was considered as Harris’ running mate, said:
“All three of us know what it’s like to compete and win really tough, close races. So, I think the more we can get out there and not only thank volunteers for being here today, we can also maybe calm some nerves, too.”
Even though these reassurances were given, many Democrats in Michigan have said they’re concerned that Harris might lose their state to Trump.
Representative Debbie Dingell, for instance, said “no one” is winning Michigan right now. Representative Elissa Slotkin, who is hoping to secure a seat in the U.S. Senate next month, said she’s also seen some signs that Trump is ahead in Michigan.
Capturing Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin is key to Harris’ path to victory in a few weeks. She can technically still win the election if she doesn’t win these three states, but it would be much, much harder for her to do so if she doesn’t.
That being said, there are many challenges that she’s facing in each of these states. There are major concerns about the turnover of Black voters in the state’s three largest cities — Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Detroit.
Frustration is also mounting about the war between Israel and Hamas, an issue that’s angered Jewish and Arab American voters.
Harris has tried to address these concerns on the campaign trail recently, and she’s spent a lot of time in these states knowing that they are vital to her success in the election.
The Democratic governors are coming to her side, hoping that they’ll be able to convince their supporters to vote for her. All three won re-election campaigns back in 2022.
So, they decided to come together to put this tour together. As Whitmer described:
“When it became clear that the whole world’s going to be focused on our three states, I said that what can we do that’s going to be helpful, that’s going to motivate people? And I said, hey, what do you think of the bus tour?”
