An Update on the 2024 Presidential Election
James David Vance, born James Donald Bowman, was born in Middletown, Ohio in 1984. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a corporal in the Iraq war between 2003 and 2007 as a military journalist. After his service, he attended Ohio State University, graduating with a degree in political science and philosophy. After graduating, he attended Yale Law School, graduating as a Doctor of Law.
Vance gained national attention in 2016 with his bestselling book “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” which followed him and his family and the socioeconomic problems of Appalachia. The book was later adapted into a movie.
Vance was elected as a senator from Ohio in 2022. He was selected by Trump to be his running mate during the National Republican Convention in July. He has received a 0% rating from Planned Parenthood, 0% from the National Education Association, 92% from the NRA, and 93% from Heritage Action for America.
Timothy James Walz was born in 1964 in Nebraska. Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard for 24 years, where he attained the rank of Command Sergeant Major. Walz attended Chadron State College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in social science. He began teaching and eventually moved to Minnesota, where as a teacher he would be the sponsor for his school’s first gay-straight alliance.
Walz later earned a master’s degree in educational science in 2001 from Minnesota State University. Walz was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2006 in what was considered a Republican district. He was consistently reelected until 2018 when he decided to run for Governor of Minnesota.
He was elected as governor in 2018 and reelected in 2022. It was during Walz’s tenure when George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis and where the initial 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests began. Walz was selected to be Harris’s running mate after Biden stepped down, with a close decision between him, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
Walz received a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood, 92% from the ACLU, 100% from the National Education Association, 0% from the NRA, 0% from the American Energy Alliance, and 0% from the American Family Association.
When Biden was the presumptive candidate, polls did not show a great outlook for the Democratic Party’s chances in November. Trump consistently led Biden in most polls, including the national vote, and most swing states. Some polls showed a potential Harris candidacy performing worse than Trump. However, when Biden dropped out, Harris performed better than believed and saw a large jump in the polls, beating out Trump.
Currently, polls put Harris slightly above Trump in the national vote. When looking at swing states, Harris leads in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump leads in Arizona and North Carolina. If the polls stay at their current rates, Harris will win 292 electoral votes versus Trump’s 246, but with the election in November, these are subject to change.
Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina are also within less than a percent and could easily change, and many polls themselves fall within the margin of error, meaning any candidate could pull the election.
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