Dems are "the clear underdogs," Harris campaign chair says
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz disembark from their campaign bus in Savannah, Ga., on Wednesday. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Despite gaining a post-convention edge in polls, Jen O'Malley Dillon, chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, says in a memo out Sunday — "The State of the Race 65 Days Out" — that her candidate is the underdog.
Why it matters: Top Democrats are wary of the party's exuberance outrunning electoral reality in what is still a 50-50 nation.
"Since Vice President Harris entered the race in late July, our campaign has seen record fundraising numbers, a surge in volunteer interest, and a spike in enthusiasm to participate in this November's election," O'Malley Dillon writes.
- "However, make no mistake: we head into the final stretch of this race as the clear underdogs. Donald Trump has a motivated base of support, with more support and higher favorability than he has had at any point since 2020."
- In nine days, "Vice President Harris will face Trump on the debate stage, where we expect him to be a formidable opponent. In 2020, the election came down to about 40,000 votes across the battleground states. This November, we anticipate margins to be similarly razor-thin."
Between the lines: Both sides try to lower expectations. The Trump campaign correctly said Harris would likely get a polling bounce after her convention.
What they're saying: "While Donald Trump is a heavily defined candidate, voters do not know Vice President Harris or Governor Walz as well," O'Malley Dillon writes. "While we continue to ramp up our organizing and paid efforts, over this final stretch, an aggressive campaigning schedule to introduce and define our ticket to the voters that will decide this election will be critical."
- "Bottom line: Make no mistake: 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. But we have the candidate, message, and operation that brings Americans together to chart a new way forward, so we can once again defeat Donald Trump."
The other side: Chris LaCivita, co-manager of the Trump campaign, tells Axios that no matter "how the national media and Harris campaign phrase it, the working middle class of America needs help."
- "They need help from a real leader committed and with a plan to eliminate the inflationary stranglehold that is making ends meet harder by the day — food costs, energy costs and the death of the American dream," LaCivita added.
- "They want a leader focused on them ... That's the focus of Donald Trump, and that's what the next 65 days will show. Who is fighting for us?"
