Vice presidential nominees Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz will campaign in Arizona on Wednesday as early voting begins in a state that could decide the presidential race and control of the Senate.
Both Vance and Walz will hold rallies in Tucson on Wednesday. Vance will also participate in a town hall later in the day in Mesa hosted by the Conservative Political Action Conference, while Walz will hold an event in Chandler with Senate candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego and Jim McCain, son of former Republican Sen. John McCain.
With less than a month until Election Day, the race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris to win the battleground state remains tight. According to FiveThirtyEight’s latest forecast, Trump leads Harris by just over 1 percentage point in the state.
The Trump campaign said Vance will encourage Arizonians to vote early in this year’s election, a sharp departure from the rhetoric Trump used in 2020 when he questioned mail-in ballots and voting early.
Wednesday’s swing for Vance is his third visit to the state since becoming Trump’s running mate in July and Walz’s trip is his second since he was picked by Harris to be her running mate in August.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks at an event marking one year since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, Oct. 7, 2024, in Washington.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Harris and Trump will also visit Arizona later this week — Harris will campaign there on Thursday and Trump on Sunday.
In 2020, Trump narrowly lost the state to President Joe Biden by just over 10,000 votes. As ABC News has previously reported Trump attempted to pressure then-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to overturn the results of the presidential race.
Trump dispatched former Vice President Mike Pence to pressure Ducey to find fraudulent votes in the state, and while Pence did call Ducey multiple times in the aftermath of the election, he did not follow those orders.
Speaking on the “Ruthless” podcast last Thursday, Vance shared that he feels good about the campaign’s chances in Sunbelt states such as Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina, but that more work needs to be done in the Rust Belt states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a rally at York Exposition Center UPMC Arena in York, Penn., Oct. 2, 2024.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Arizona’s first day of early voting also coincides with the Senate debate between Gallego and Republican Kari Lake in a race that will help decide which party controls the Senate in 2025.
Currently, Gallego leads Lake by just under 8 percentage points, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Lake, who lost the Arizona gubernatorial race in 2022, alienated many moderate Republicans by feuding with Ducey and upsetting supporters of the late Sen. McCain. Lake has also continued to deny the validity of the 2020 and 2022 elections but has changed how she approaches her campaign, trying to court those moderate Republicans she lost in 2022.
Ducey endorsed Lake in August, saying that too much is at stake in this election cycle.
“I will be voting for Republicans up & down the ballot in November — and both Donald Trump and Kari Lake have my endorsement,” Ducey posted on X. “Differences aside, there is too much on the line and only a Republican in the White House and a majority in the House and US Senate can ensure it.”
A spokesperson for Gov. Tim Walz did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment on this story.
As the 2020 presidential election draws near, Arizona has emerged as a crucial battleground state that could potentially swing the outcome of the race. With early voting already underway, candidates and their surrogates are making a final push to rally support and secure crucial votes.
Recently, Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar made a visit to Arizona to campaign on behalf of the Biden-Harris ticket. Now, it’s the turn of Republican figures to make their presence felt in the state.
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, along with Senators Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema, welcomed two prominent Republican figures to the state – former Governor of North Carolina Pat McCrory and former Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty. The two men were there to show their support for President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence as they seek re-election.
However, the most notable visitors to Arizona in recent days were former governors Vance and Walz. Vance, who served as governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019, and Walz, who served as governor of Minnesota from 2019 to present, are both seen as rising stars within the Republican and Democratic parties respectively.
Their visit to Arizona was seen as an attempt to sway undecided voters and energize their respective party bases. Vance, a vocal supporter of President Trump, emphasized the importance of re-electing the current administration in order to continue economic growth and national security initiatives.
On the other hand, Walz focused on the need for change and unity in the country, highlighting Joe Biden’s experience and leadership qualities as reasons to vote for the Democratic ticket. Both men engaged in town hall meetings, rallies, and media appearances to make their case to Arizonans.
As early voting continues in Arizona, it remains to be seen which way the state will swing come Election Day. Recent polls have shown a tight race between Trump and Biden, with neither candidate holding a significant lead. The visits by Vance and Walz highlight the importance of every vote in this key battleground state.
With just a few weeks left until November 3rd, the stakes are high for both parties as they vie for Arizona’s electoral votes. The visits by prominent political figures like Vance and Walz serve as a reminder of the significance of this election and the impact it will have on the future of the country.
