Harris’s run started at a blazing pace. It will end with her fighting for every votepublished at 08:11 British Summer Time
Sarah Smith
North America editor, reporting from Michigan, Pennsylvania and Arizona
Image source, ReutersTwo months ago, Kamala Harris was crowned as the Democratic presidential nominee at a jubilant national convention in Chicago.
For thousands of party faithful, she was the electoral saviour, replacing an 81-year-old incumbent who seemed incapable of defeating Donald Trump and winning another term.
But even then, senior party strategists told me they worried Democrats were over confident about her path to victory.
Now, as election day looms and anxieties grow, it seems their concerns were well-founded.
There is no doubt that Harris enjoyed a surge of momentum, and an instant and significant boost in the polls compared to President Joe Biden, who was lagging far behind Trump. Yet it appears she was winning back those who normally vote Democratic anyway, but who had worried about Biden and his age.
For victory, Harris needs to attract voters from beyond the Democrats’ base, while holding together the fragile coalition that helped Biden win in 2020.