Former President Bill Clinton will visit New Hampshire on Friday to campaign for Kamala Harris and other Democratic candidates, signaling the party’s efforts to bolster support in traditionally blue states amid narrowing poll numbers.
Local ABC affiliate WMUR-TV reported that Clinton’s trip aims to energize voters and support Democratic candidates across the ballot, as well as promote New Hampshire Democrats’ “New Way Forward” platform.
While specific details of Clinton’s visit have not been disclosed, his appearance comes shortly after a recent poll by New Hampshire Journal/Praecones Analytica showed former President Donald Trump holding a slim lead over Harris.
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With just under two weeks until Election Day, Trump is ahead with 50.2% of support compared to Harris’s 49.8%.
Although the numbers are within the margin of error, they reflect a tight race in a state that has largely leaned Democratic in recent presidential elections.
Trump previously lost New Hampshire in both 2016 and 2020, but his narrow lead suggests a potential shift in voter sentiment.
Commenting on the poll results, Michael Graham of the New Hampshire Journal observed, “The fact that Trump, who’s lost the Granite State twice, is leading in a state Democrats carried in seven of the last eight presidential races, could be very significant.”
Graham added that the data indicates Trump’s campaign may be expanding its focus to include more states traditionally viewed as Democratic strongholds.
Republican strategist Mark Halperin, speaking with Megyn Kelly, discussed the Trump campaign’s strategic push into New Hampshire and other states with a history of voting Democratic.
Halperin said, “When Kamala Harris a few weeks ago did an event in New Hampshire, I said to everybody in both parties, like, what’s going on? Because she’s spending a day campaigning in New Hampshire…It’s got nothing to do with being bordered by New Hampshire.” Halperin explained that internal Democratic polling still shows Harris holding a substantial lead in the state, although the decision to focus on New Hampshire highlights growing Democratic concerns about defending the region.
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Halperin pointed to Trump’s broader strategy, suggesting that his campaign is aiming to contest not only New Hampshire but also traditionally Democratic states like New Mexico, Minnesota, and Virginia. “There’s a school of thought…that says, Trump’s going to go to Albuquerque to try to win New Mexico. He’s going to go to St. Paul to try to win Minnesota. He’s going to go to…I don’t know, Richmond to try to win Virginia,” Halperin said, noting that the Trump campaign has increased hiring in these states for last-minute canvassing efforts.
The move to deploy Clinton to New Hampshire shows the Harris-Walz campaign’s recognition of Trump’s push into battleground states that Democrats previously held.
In addition to Harris’s recent stop, Joe Biden also visited New Hampshire earlier this week, further signaling the party’s concern over maintaining its foothold in the state.
Trump’s campaign, meanwhile, has reportedly prioritized states such as New Hampshire, Minnesota, Virginia, and New Mexico.
Though public polling in these areas tends to favor Harris, the Harris-Walz campaign’s decision to bring Clinton into New Hampshire suggests a calculated effort to mobilize Democratic voters amid the close race.
Clinton’s campaign stop will serve as part of the Democratic effort to counterbalance Trump’s targeted outreach in states where he has not traditionally had strong support.
As both parties make strategic moves in New Hampshire and beyond, Friday’s rally may prove critical in galvanizing Democratic turnout as Election Day approaches.
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