Spill of the Hill: Massachusetts Democrats deploy to swing states to stump for Harris
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Massachusetts is no one's idea of a battleground state. So when Bay State politicians want to impact a presidential election, they head to swing states.
Why it matters: Massachusetts Democrats like Gov. Maura Healey and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley have been on the road in Georgia, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and other competitive states Vice President Kamala Harris will need to defeat former President Donald Trump.
With Massachusetts' 11 electoral college votes all but certain to go to Harris, Massachusetts Democrats are scrambling to help out where they can as surrogates.
- Deep blue messages can excite the Democratic base.
- Face time with undecided voters could help out the top of the ticket.
Driving the news: Pressley just got back from Erie, Pennsylvania, where she spent the weekend meeting with voters and Harris supporters in the bellwether county that narrowly voted for President Biden in 2020.
- Her mission in the Keystone State was to meet with canvassers and door-knockers, engage Black community leaders, speak at churches and try to drum up support for Harris and running mate Tim Walz.
What they're saying: "In Massachusetts, people are, months in advance, putting in their PTO because they're going to plan on traveling and being deployed somewhere," Pressley told Axios from Pennsylvania this week.
- Pressley said seasoned Massachusetts strategists, organizers and activists have played a critical role in Democratic politics and in presidential elections by working in more critical states.
Pressley spent Monday with Pennsylvania child care providers to talk about Harris' plans for paid leave and expanded care options.
- She was one of the first members of Congress to endorse Harris in the aftermath of Biden's decision to drop out.
The same weekend, Healey was in Merrimack and Londonderry, New Hampshire, to launch canvas efforts for Harris.
- New Hampshire, Healey's native state, also has one the most-watched gubernatorial races in the country as Democratic former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig faces Republican former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte.
What's next: Pressley said the Harris campaign has "an awareness that we are the underdog here and that the race is going to be very close" in Pennsylvania.
- But she says she was encouraged by the diverse coalition of voters from both parties that are coming together to elect Harris.
- "They understand that we're at a critical crossroads and the contrast cannot be clearer, the stakes more high," she said.