Harris, Trump head to Texas days before Election Day
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2024/10/24/1729791443628.gif?w=3840)
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are headed to Texas Friday, less than two weeks before Election Day.
Why it matters: Their visits are notable in a state that has been far less competitive than others. Candidates usually spend their final days on the campaign trail in swing states, where the Electoral College will be won and lost.
- But both will be trying to reach key groups of voters in those battleground states from a rally in Houston and a podcast studio in Austin.
The big picture: Harris, who is expected to be joined by Beyoncé and Willie Nelson, will focus her Houston rally on the state's abortion ban, which the campaign sees as Exhibit A of the attack on reproductive rights across the country.
- Trump will speak to reporters about border security — a winning issue for Republicans — from a private airplane hangar in Austin and taping a podcast episode with Joe Rogan, who has a massive following of mostly men.
What they're saying: "Texas is the stage for this event," senior Harris campaign adviser David Plouffe told the Associated Press. "But for us, the most important audience are folks in the battlegrounds."
- Plouffe added that Harris is making the trip "to really tell a story about Donald Trump's role in eliminating Roe v. Wade, what that's meant for people in a state like Texas, and the stakes — if you live in a state currently without an abortion ban — that could be coming your way if Donald Trump wins."
Between the lines: The gender divide has come into sharp focus in the run-up to the election. Polls have shown a widening gap between men and women, and the candidates have narrowed in on that divide in battleground states.
- Trump's campaign has been courting young, male voters, participating in interviews with male-dominated media outlets and hosts who are popular among that demographic. Rogan, who is based in Austin, has amassed over 19 million followers on Instagram and over 17 million subscribers on YouTube.
- "You have one issue, you have the issue of abortion," Trump said on "Fox & Friends" last week when asked about where he stands with women voters. "Without abortion, the women love me."
Zoom in: Their visits to the Lone Star State also come as Democratic U.S. Rep. Colin Allred closes in on U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in recent polling.
- Allred will appear on stage with Harris, a sign that Democrats see a possible path to victory in his uphill challenge of Cruz.
- Trump endorsed Cruz in his re-election bid last week.
By the numbers: Cruz remains favored to win the Senate race — leading by an average of 4.2 percentage points in recent polls — but the gap has narrowed in recent weeks.
- Harris continues to trail Trump in Texas by an average of 6 points in recent polling.
Flashback: Texas hasn't elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994, but Cruz only narrowly won re-election against Beto O'Rourke in 2018.
- Trump defeated Biden in Texas by 5.6 points in 2020.
Go deeper: Beyoncé and Willie Nelson to join Harris in Houston