• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

1

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

2

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
PoliticsKamala Harris

Kamala Harris keeps focus on ‘Blue Wall’ states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as election draws near

By
Chris Megerian
Chris Megerian
,
Will Weissert
Will Weissert
, and
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Megerian
Chris Megerian
,
Will Weissert
Will Weissert
, and
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 17, 2024, 4:17 AM ET
Vice President and Democratic candidate for President of the United States Kamala Harris
With time running out, Harris keeps focus on 'blue wall' states Nathan Morris/NurPhoto via Getty Images

With three weeks left in the presidential campaign, Democrat Kamala Harris is spending most of her days trying to shore up support in the “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as she tries to avoid a repeat of Hillary Clinton’s collapse there eight years ago.

Recommended Video

The vice president campaigned at a hockey rink on Monday in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she denounced Republican candidate Donald Trump as “unhinged.” She visited an art gallery in Detroit with actors Don Cheadle, Delroy Lindo and Cornelius Smith. Jr. on Tuesday, then recorded a radio town hall with Charlamagne tha God.

On Wednesday, Harris was back in Pennsylvania to stress allegiance to the Constitution as she stood just steps from the banks of the Delaware River, where George Washington crossed with his troops in a pivotal moment of the Revolutionary War.

Her pace doesn’t let up for the rest of the week. Harris is expected to hold three events in Wisconsin on Thursday, including a meet-and-greet with students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and three more in Michigan on Friday. She then campaigns in Detroit on Saturday.

A loss anywhere in the “blue wall,” a name that reflects the region’s traditional Democratic leaning, could doom Harris’ path to the presidency.

“You don’t take those states for granted. And she’s not,” said Joel Benenson, a Democratic pollster.

He previously served as chief strategist for Clinton, whose campaign was so overconfident that it stopped conducting its own polls in Midwest battlegrounds as the election approached.

“We’ve got a painful lesson in 2016 when we didn’t go to the ‘blue wall’ states, and we lost,” Benenson said.

Harris’ campaign emphasized that she’s not giving up on Sun Belt battlegrounds like North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. The vice president was in North Carolina over the weekend and she’s expected to be back in Georgia on Sunday.

But any candidate’s most precious resource is time, and Harris’ schedule reflects the consensus about her most likely shot at winning the White House.

“It’s not the only path, but it’s the easiest path to victory,” said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake.

She added, “If you can’t win Pennsylvania or Michigan, do you really think you can win Georgia or North Carolina?”

Pennsylvania and Michigan are Harris’ most popular destinations since Labor Day, with eight stops in each state, according to an Associated Press tracking of candidates’ public events.

At Harris’ event in Washington Crossing on Wednesday, one voter said Democrats had discovered the cost of complacency the hard way.

“In 2016, we thought we had it, you know, we thought we were okay,” said Melanie Woods, a retired school principal who came all the way from Brooklyn. “And I don’t think you can ever take anything for granted any more.”

Dan Kanninen, the Harris campaign’s battleground states director, said the vice president has “multiple pathways” to win.

“All seven battleground states are in play, and we know each will be incredibly close,” he said. “That is why we will continue to engage and mobilize voters aggressively across all these states until Election Day.”

During her campaign travels, Harris is trying to pick strategic areas to talk about key policies, such as promoting auto jobs and union membership in Detroit and going to Douglas, Arizona to unveil plans to tighten rules for immigrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border after she walked along the towering wall separating the two countries.

The campaign is also increasingly relying on large organizational networks in key states, including coordinated offices with state Democratic parties, to fill in the gaps when Harris isn’t there. It’s deploying key surrogates — most notably Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — to lessen the impact of choosing to travel to one part of the country versus the other.

Democrats have other benefits, too. There’s a deep bench of high-profile politicians who are united behind Harris, including former President Barack Obama, who has been making campaign stops on her behalf. And there’s a campaign war chest larger than Trump’s, allowing Harris to keep up the pressure with advertising and expansive get-out-the-vote efforts.

Democrats’ electoral odds have ebbed and flowed during this tumultuous election year. President Joe Biden had faced a dwindling path to reelection, with some purple states sliding out of reach. But when he dropped out of the race in July, Harris’ team emphasized her potentially broader geographic appeal.

“Vice President Harris enters a tight race, but it is clear that she can bring together a coalition of voters to keep a wide set of states in play,” Campaign Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon wrote in a memo in late July.

But that doesn’t mean that some states aren’t more important than others.

“You win Pennsylvania, and you’re the next president,” Sen. John Fetterman said at Harris’ rally in Erie.

Trump’s travel is less tightly focused than Harris’ this week. He was in Pennsylvania on Monday, Illinois and Georgia on Tuesday and Florida on Wednesday.

He attends the Al Smith charity dinner in New York on Thursday and returns to Detroit on Friday

His previous visit there generated backlash because he criticized the city, which is rebounding after years of financial problems.

“Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she’s your president,” Trump said during a speech to the Detroit Economic Club.

Tommey Walker, founder and owner of the clothing company Detroit vs. Everybody, derided Trump for disparaging his city while introducing Harris at an event on Tuesday.

“Now it’s Detroit versus Donald Trump,” Walker proclaimed.

Harris, by contrast, talked about the city in reverent tones. She recalled making friends with students from Detroit while attending Howard University.

“I just feel a kindred spirit whenever I come to Detroit,” Harris said.

Subscribe to Fortune Gulf Brief. Every Tuesday, this new newsletter will deliver clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it. Sign up here.
About the Authors
By Chris Megerian
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Will Weissert
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By The Associated Press
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Politics

Trump’s IRS suit may end with a $1.7 billion compensation fund
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trump’s IRS suit may end with a $1.7 billion compensation fund
By Zoe Tillman, Chris Strohm, Hadriana Lowenkron and BloombergMay 16, 2026
1 hour ago
World’s largest aircraft carrier returns from 11-month deployment, longest since Vietnam, after supporting Iran war and Maduro raid
PoliticsMilitary
World’s largest aircraft carrier returns from 11-month deployment, longest since Vietnam, after supporting Iran war and Maduro raid
By The Associated PressMay 16, 2026
1 hour ago
Ray Dalio says China’s ascent ushers in era of ‘tribute system’
AsiaChina
Ray Dalio says China’s ascent ushers in era of ‘tribute system’
By David Westin, Edward Dufner and BloombergMay 16, 2026
1 hour ago
trump
PoliticsElections
Trump voter remorse is almost entirely concentrated in the swing voters who gave him a shot in 2024
By Tatishe Nteta, Adam Eichen, Jesse Rhodes and The ConversationMay 16, 2026
6 hours ago
hoeg
HealthFDA
RFK ally confirms she was fired by FDA: ‘I learned so much and leave with no regrets’
By Matthew Perrone and The Associated PressMay 16, 2026
7 hours ago
iran
PoliticsIran
Iran foreign minister on dealings with Trump: ‘We are in doubt about their seriousness’
By Sheikh Saaliq, Adam Schreck and The Associated PressMay 16, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
9 hours ago
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
Success
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
By Preston ForeMay 13, 2026
3 days ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 15, 2026
1 day ago
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
Future of Work
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
13 hours ago
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
Future of Work
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
By Jacqueline MunisMay 16, 2026
9 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.