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Elisa Gutierrez and
Over the course of a few days this week, we got two pretty remarkable data points for the 2024 election. On Tuesday, Democrats had a very good night.
Gov. Andy Beshear was re-elected in Kentucky. In Ohio, voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that established a right to abortion in the State Constitution. In Virginia, Democrats took control of the state legislature, flipping the House of Delegates and preserving control of the Senate.
Just a few days earlier, though, The New York Times and Siena College released a new poll of battleground states. Former President Donald J. Trump was leading President Biden in five out of the six states where voters were surveyed.
What to make of bad news for the president followed by good news for his party just a few days later?
It could mean that while Democrats are doing better on the grass-roots level, the president has a unique weakness with the voters he needs — specifically regarding his age.
And if that is the case, what is the Biden campaign doing about it?
The first place to go for an answer is Wilmington, Del., and the Biden campaign headquarters to hear directly from Quentin Fulks, the principal deputy campaign manager, about how the campaign views challenging poll numbers — and the difficulties ahead.
Beyond the view inside the campaign, we also hear from Jim Messina, a longtime Democratic strategist, who helped re-elect an incumbent president when he managed Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign.
About ‘The Run-Up’
The 2024 presidential election will be one for the record books. If President Biden succeeds in his re-election bid, he will be the oldest person to occupy that office. On the Republican side, Mr. Trump is dominating the crowded primary field — despite four criminal indictments. To make sense of it all, and to understand how voters around the country are feeling, “The Run-Up” and its host, Astead W. Herndon, will be with you every step of the way. New episodes on Thursdays.
Credits
“The Run-Up” is hosted by Astead W. Herndon and produced by Anna Foley, Elisa Gutierrez and Caitlin O’Keefe. The show is edited by Rachel Dry, Lisa Tobin and Frannie Carr Toth. Engineering by Corey Schreppel and original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Pat McCusker, Diane Wong and Elisheba Ittoop. Fact-checking by Caitlin Love.
Special thanks to Paula Szuchman, Sam Dolnick, Larissa Anderson, David Halbfinger, Tara Godvin, Renan Borelli, Mahima Chablani, Jeffrey Miranda, Kitty Bennett and Maddy Masiello.
Source: Elections - nytimes.com
