By Ben Pershing

There were seven true battleground states at the start of the 2024 presidential race, and there are still seven at the end. But there are two states getting outsized attention in these final hours, and the reason is clear: Kamala Harris needs to win Pennsylvania more than any other state, and the same is true for Donald Trump and North Carolina.

That explains why Trump was in North Carolina Saturday and Sunday and will be there again today. And why Harris will wrap up election eve with a late-night event in Philadelphia after a rally in Pittsburgh. Each candidate also sees the value of depriving the other of their must-win state, so Trump also campaigns in Pennsylvania today, and Harris hit North Carolina over the weekend.

Before anyone protests, yes there are multiple paths to victory for each candidate, especially if some dark horse state (Iowa?!) shocks us all Tuesday. But the simple fact is that the clearest way for Harris to win is via the blue wall states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania - and of the three, Pennsylvania is the tightest in the final poll averages and has the most electoral college votes.

Trump, for his part, wants to keep hold of the Sunbelt states to narrow Harris's path. Though the polls have fluctuated, North Carolina has seemed more competitive in recent weeks than Georgia - even though Trump won the former in 2020 but not the latter. And the aftermath of Hurricane Helene has made it difficult to project turnout in the still-reeling western portion of the state.

Time is now the candidates' most valuable resource, and it's clear where the two campaigns think it should be spent.

This item is part of a Wall Street Journal live coverage event. The full stream can be found by searching P/WSJL (WSJ Live Coverage).

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 04, 2024 07:00 ET (12:00 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.