With only six days until the November 5 election, Vice President Kamala Harris reinforced her commitment to serving “all Americans” if elected president, emphasizing inclusivity in her leadership approach. This statement comes amid efforts to counteract remarks by President Joe Biden, which critics say risk undermining Harris’s central message of unity and civility.
During a campaign stop in North Carolina on Wednesday, Harris stated: “When elected president, I’m going to represent all Americans, including those who don’t vote for me.” Her remark comes as a direct attempt to contrast herself with her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, whom she accuses of deepening national divisions and eroding democratic norms.
The high-stakes race between Harris and Trump has been one of stark contrasts, with Harris promising to “respect those who disagree” and appealing to voters weary of political discord. The final week of Harris’s campaign has been a series of concentrated efforts to win over voters in battleground states. Among these key regions is North Carolina, where Harris aimed to shore up support in Raleigh, the state’s rapidly expanding capital city. Trump, who holds strong appeal in the state’s rural areas, has simultaneously scheduled a rally in Rocky Mount, reflecting a heated race for votes in this politically diverse state.
President Biden’s recent criticism of language used at a Trump rally has ignited a back-and-forth between the two campaigns. On Sunday, Biden addressed “racist” rhetoric he claimed was common among Trump supporters, saying, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable.” Biden later clarified that he was referring to a comedian’s remarks at the rally, not Trump’s supporters overall, but Trump’s campaign has used the comment to suggest that the Biden administration views Trump supporters negatively.
The Biden comment, though quickly clarified, has added fuel to the already intense competition. Harris’s campaign has since worked to steer the focus back to her message of national unity. Her reassurance that she would respect all Americans, regardless of political views, aligns with her broader efforts to project a centrist, inclusive stance in an increasingly polarized political climate.
With North Carolina’s political landscape balanced on a knife’s edge, both Harris and Trump are dedicating significant campaign resources to the state. Trump won North Carolina in the 2020 election by a narrow margin, with a lead of under 1.5 percentage points. However, changing demographics and voter sentiment give Harris’s team reason to believe the state could swing blue this year. North Carolina has a Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, who has endorsed Harris and whose popularity may offer her a boost among undecided voters.
The latest polls suggest a razor-thin margin between Harris and Trump, with Harris leading by just one percentage point nationally, within the margin of error, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. On a state level, FiveThirtyEight’s polling average shows Trump holding a similar one-point lead in North Carolina, leaving the outcome uncertain. Additionally, last month’s devastating hurricane damage has affected voter sentiment, with many residents still grappling with the aftermath. This has intensified scrutiny on each candidate’s disaster response policies, particularly in the state’s rural, often conservative, areas.
In their final days on the campaign trail, Harris and Trump have launched extensive tours of battleground states. Harris will visit Pennsylvania and Wisconsin later this week, where she is scheduled to hold rallies aimed at energizing voter bases. Her Wisconsin rally in Madison will feature performances by popular musicians, including Mumford & Sons, in an effort to attract a broad audience. Trump, meanwhile, has invited Brett Favre, the retired NFL quarterback, to join his rally in Wisconsin, leveraging his popularity among sports fans.
The divergent rally formats underscore the differences in each campaign’s strategy and messaging. Harris is focusing on a message of unity and inclusivity, reflected in her culturally diverse events. Trump’s approach aims to energize his core supporters, particularly those who feel alienated by recent social and economic shifts. His rallies have frequently featured rhetoric decrying immigration and what he claims are excessive regulatory policies enacted by the Biden administration.
Adding complexity to the election’s narrative, Trump’s campaign has emphasized concerns around voter fraud, specifically targeting noncitizen voting, though no substantive evidence supports widespread illegal voting. Trump and his allies have repeatedly called for tighter restrictions, an argument that resonated with Republican voters skeptical of election security. On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a partial victory to Trump’s camp by allowing Virginia to purge 1,600 individuals from its voter rolls based on claims they may not be citizens — a move that Biden’s administration and voting rights advocates have contested.
This decision reignited debate over voter rights, especially in states with close races like North Carolina, where a few thousand votes could swing the outcome. While federal and state audits have shown that cases of illegal voting are extremely rare, the focus on election integrity has heightened tensions.
Republican Representative Andy Harris has gone further, suggesting that North Carolina’s state legislature should preemptively declare Trump the winner of the state’s 16 Electoral College votes to prevent what he calls “voter disenfranchisement.” Governor Cooper and other officials have dismissed the proposal, labeling it as an extreme threat to electoral integrity. The Harris campaign has argued that such suggestions undermine democratic principles, while Trump’s campaign contends that they are necessary to prevent fraud.
The aftermath of last month’s hurricane has complicated the landscape for both candidates in North Carolina. The state’s western region, which is largely Republican, was particularly affected by the storm, prompting questions about the government’s disaster response. While some officials, including Republicans, have praised federal cleanup efforts, Trump has controversially claimed that funds intended for North Carolina’s recovery were diverted to support immigrant assistance programs. No evidence supports this claim, and FEMA has stated that funds have been allocated strictly for disaster relief.
The hurricane has underscored regional disparities in resources and political representation, with rural areas struggling to rebuild and voicing frustrations that could sway their votes. Harris has vowed to prioritize disaster relief efforts and offer increased federal support to rural communities, in contrast to Trump’s stance of reducing federal oversight.
This year’s election cycle has been notable for high early voter turnout. As of Wednesday, over one-third of North Carolina’s registered voters had cast ballots, either by mail or through early voting, according to the state’s election board. This trend has amplified expectations of a record turnout, reflecting both high voter engagement and intensified campaigning by both parties.
With North Carolina’s complex voting rules, which allow absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to 10 days after the election, the state’s final results may not be clear until mid-November. In 2020, North Carolina was one of the last states to report, with media outlets not calling the race for Trump until 10 days after the election.
Both campaigns are preparing for a drawn-out post-election period in battleground states. Legal teams on each side are anticipating potential disputes over ballot counting, especially given the narrow margins. Election experts have expressed concerns that North Carolina, among other states, could see delays and disputes, potentially leaving the nation in suspense for days or even weeks after the polls close.
The 2024 election has come to symbolize two vastly different visions for America’s future. Kamala Harris’s message of representing all Americans, regardless of political affiliation, aims to bridge divides and heal national wounds. In contrast, Trump has positioned himself as a defender of conservative values, appealing to voters who feel overlooked by the current administration.
The final outcome in North Carolina and other battlegrounds will likely hinge on which message resonates most with voters: a call for unity or a reaffirmation of partisan loyalty. For Harris, the election represents an opportunity to create a more inclusive America. For Trump, it is a chance to reassert a brand of leadership that he argues better represents the American people.
As the nation watches closely, North Carolina stands poised to play a decisive role in shaping the country’s future, once again underscoring the importance of each individual’s vote in determining the leadership of the world’s most powerful democracy.
