Is Biden vs Trump 2024 rematch going to be a tightly-contested affair?

TN Ashok

Washington, Jan 2 (IANS) A handful of swing counties in the top swings states in the US could play a crucial role in deciding this year's Presidential election -- a potential incumbent Joe Biden versus his predecessor Donald Trump re-match.  

In the US, a swing state is classified as the one where two major political parties enjoy more or less similar support. These states are considered important in determining the outcome of the Presidential poll.

In these battleground areas, where Democratic and Republican candidates each stand a competitive chance, represent some of the nation's most divided neighbourhoods and shifting political moods, political strategists said.

Winning these counties, and in turn the states they live in, could make or break one White House hopeful's bid.

Poll strategists from across the aisles predict five of the counties could have America on the edge , waiting up on election night, USA TODAY said.

1. Maricopa County, Arizona

Located in Arizona's capital, Phoenix, Maricopa County may take some time to call this November.

Once a Red State, Arizona has become a key swing state in recent years and Maricopa is the epicenter of this battleground state.

2. Erie County, Pennsylvania

Erie County has swung back and forth for Democrats and Republicans in recent elections, leaving the question of who voters there will go for in 2024.

Four years after former President Barack Obama won the county with a commanding lead, Trump secured a victory in the state in 2016 by less than a point and in the blue-collar county by 2 points.

As many expect a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024, Americans may have to stay up for the outcome in Erie next election night.

3. Kent County, Michigan

Kent County, was once a Republican stronghold in a key swing state with a blue edge.

Now, the area is yet another to go back and forth between parties, specifically changing their minds on Trump.

Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 3 points in Kent County in 2016 but lost the county – and the state – to Biden by a wider margin in 2020.

4. Miami-Dade County, Florida

Although Florida has appeared to shift lately from a swing state to more reliably Republican, the Sunshine state still has its competitive pockets, including Miami-Dade County in the south.

The state's largest county has a substantial Democratic population and went for Hillary Clinton by 30 points in 2016.

The county also went for Biden in 2020, albeit by about 7 percentage points.

5. Dane County, Wisconsin

One of the country's most politically competitive states, Wisconsin will be an important battleground for candidates in 2024. Within that, Dane County could be an epicenter of the state's competition.

Located in southern Wisconsin and including the city of Madison, Dane County is a Democratic stronghold.

Hillary Clinton carried the county by almost 50 points in 2016, and Biden grew on that lead in 2020, defeating Trump 76 per cent to 23 per cent in Dane County.

While Wisconsin as a whole sits up for grabs by either party's candidate, this area of the state will be one to watch with its potential to tip the scale in Democrats' favour next November.

In summary, eight swing states hold the key to returning Trump or Biden to the White House in the 2024 race.

They are -- Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Pollsters suggest that these states have about 15 per cent of voters who are mostly undecided and make up their minds closer to the polls.

They are the swing voters who hold the key to the contests.

Ohio, Florida, Minnesota are also states to watch as democrats make abortion rights of women a key issue.

Both Biden and Trump have positives and negatives that could seal their fates or promote their chances at the hustings in 2024, analysts said.

Young voters are however united that both candidates are too old for the world's most crucial post of guiding global geopolitics.

Youngsters want fresh blood like Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis or Gavin Newsom at the helm for the next 10 years.

Young voters also doubt the cognitive abilities of Biden or Trump to make quick or matured decisions.

--IANS

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