Democrats grow anxious as Election Day nears

In the two-and-a-half months since Joe Biden ended his reelection bid, Kamala Harris swiftly secured the Democratic presidential nomination, headlined the party’s most rapturous convention since 2008, brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in new campaign donations and surged past Biden’s poll numbers from earlier this year.

In the two-and-a-half months since Joe Biden ended his reelection bid, Kamala Harris swiftly secured the Democratic presidential nomination, headlined the party’s most rapturous convention since 2008, brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in new campaign donations and surged past Biden’s poll numbers from earlier this year. And yet, Democrats are increasingly anxious over Harris’ fate. There is a growing sense that her campaign is stuck in the mud – as familiar debates crop up over where and how to deploy precious resources. Harris advisers often publicly dismiss the polls, acknowledging that the race is close and will remain so leading up to Election Day. But just weeks shy – and after multiple blitzes to battleground states and a debate that wiped away memories of Biden’s unraveling – the needle has barely moved, if at all. That Harris is the first major party presidential nominee in six decades not to have won a competitive primary remains for some a source of lingering doubt. “People are nervous. They know the polls are tight,” a source close to the campaign said. “A lot of us are having these flashbacks to 2016 too. We know when it can go the wrong way, and it can still feel fresh.” Further complicating efforts to rally the base, Democrats are struggling in some quarters to identify who that should be. Some are keen to win over GOP moderates who have soured on Donald Trump – a tactic with questionable returns-on-investment. Others want to focus on mobilizing men and men of color to turn out – a demographic that remains a point of concern among Harris campaign officials. Suburban women are a key demographic that have shifted toward Democrats during the Trump era, but there are questions whether that will be enough to offset Trump’s advantages with men. Others pointed to Hispanic voters. And worries loom about Arab Americans and younger voters angry over US policy in Israel, Gaza and, as the war spreads, Lebanon. The nervous energy also stems from the simple fact of the race’s slim margins. Harris’ camp considers the seven most competitive battleground states to be tied or within the margin of error. And for all of the talk about there being multiple pathways to 270 electoral votes – through the so-called Blue Wall or the Sun Belt – no path currently feels guaranteed.