Georgia’s rural voters will be key deciders of 2024 presidential race
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Since becoming vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris has made nearly a dozen stops in metro Atlanta. Half of them came this year alone.
It’s a safe bet that come November, she and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will enjoy high in Atlanta and its surrounding areas for the presidential election. But that’s not enough to win Georgia.
On Wednesday, Harris and Walz will embark on a bus tour of middle and south Georgia, ending Thursday with a rally in Savannah. Walz, according to the campaign, will depart before the rally.
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It shows an effort to do something crucial: sway rural voters and get outside the normal Democratic comfort zone in Georgia. It’s something both Harris and her opponent, Republican nominee Donald Trump, will have to do in the remaining weeks of campaign season.
“If you’re going to connect to voters, it’s now. You’ve got to do it in these weeks,” said political scientist Dr. Ben Taylor with Kennesaw State University. “Even if you’re looking for a handful of votes, those votes could end up mattering in the long run.”
In 2020, President Joe Biden won Georgia by less than 12,000 votes. Harris will need to have all the same success Biden had in metro Atlanta and Georgia’s other metro areas, along with increased numbers in rural areas.
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If you’re a Georgia voter and plan to cast an absentee ballot in the November election, you can request one now.
Voters in less populated areas of the Peach State also feel uplifted by the presence of presidential campaigns in their areas. Rallies and campaign events are often held in densely populated areas, where candidates can draw large crowds.
“We don’t always get the opportunity to drive four hours to make an event in Atlanta,” said State Senator Derek Mallow, a Democrat who represents the Savannah area. “Having the campaign come to Savannah is a testament that Vice President Harris is reaching out to everybody, up and down 95 and I-16, east to west.”
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