Kamala Harris Team Declares Themselves ‘Clear Underdogs’ and Trump as ‘Formidable’

In a strategic move to manage expectations and rally Democratic supporters, US Vice-President Kamala Harris’s campaign team has labeled themselves as the “clear underdogs” in a memo released on Sunday. The team emphasized that the 2024 presidential race will likely be decided by “razor-thin” margins in key battleground states, similar to the 2020 election.

The memo, penned by Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, acknowledged that former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, remains a “formidable candidate” with a “motivated base of support” that is stronger and more favorable than it has been since 2020. Dillon underscored the tight nature of the race, stating, “Make no mistake, we head into the final stretch of this race as the clear underdogs.”

Current polling averages show Harris leading Trump slightly—48% to 46.2% according to RealClearPolitics and 47.1% to 43.8% according to FiveThirtyEight. However, these margins are narrow and within the margin of error, highlighting the campaign’s caution against complacency. The competition remains intense in crucial battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

Dillon noted that the 2020 election was decided by about 40,000 votes across these battleground states and anticipated that this November’s margins would be similarly narrow. She also pointed out that the Harris campaign is working to make inroads in traditionally Republican states such as North Carolina and Georgia, where Harris has previously acknowledged being the underdog.

Dillon addressed the challenge of introducing and defining Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, to voters, noting that while Trump is a well-defined candidate, Harris and Walz are less known. She stressed the importance of an aggressive campaign strategy to familiarize voters with their ticket.

The upcoming September 10 presidential debate between Harris and Trump is seen as a crucial moment. Harris’s campaign has requested that both candidates’ microphones remain live throughout the debate, while the Trump campaign argues they should be muted after each candidate’s response time.

Dillon concluded the memo by acknowledging the tough road ahead: “The next 65 days will be very hard. This race will remain incredibly close, and the voters who will decide this election will require an extraordinary amount of work to win over.”