Harris is ‘underwater in our polling’, Michigan representative says

A Democratic representative in a key battleground Senate race in Michigan told supporters she’s concerned about Kamala Harris’s chances in the state’s presidential election.

“I’m not feeling my best right now about where we are on Kamala Harris in a place like Michigan,” Elissa Slotkin said at a fundraiser earlier this month, according to Axios. “We have her underwater in our polling.”

Slotkin did not offer more details on specifics of the data to which she was referring, Axios reported. Without seeing the actual poll, it is difficult to assess its credibility. Candidates will sometimes use internal polls to motivate supporters and urge them not to get complacent.

Mail-in ballots started being sent to Michigan voters on Thursday.

Donald Trump gave a speech and held a town hall in Michigan on Friday. Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, also made an appearance at a football game between the University of Michigan and University of Minnesota on Saturday.

Walz and Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, are also set to square off on Wednesday in the race’s only vice-presidential debate, another milestone moment in the race.

The FiveThirtyEight average of polls shows a very close race in Michigan, with Harris having a narrow lead. Winning Michigan, a state Joe Biden won in 2020 on his way to capturing the White House after Trump carried it in 2016, is key to Harris’ hopes of becoming president.

The simplest path for Harris to win the election and deny Trump a second presidency is to carry the Rust belt states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Losing any one of them would complicate her path to winning the electoral college.

Polls also show Slotkin with a wider lead over her opponent, former representative Mike Rogers. Holding on to the seat is a critical part of any chance Democrats have to keep control of the US senate. The Cook Political Report has rated the race to fill the seat of Debbie Stabenow, a Democratic senator, as a highly competitive toss-up.

Slotkin’s comments come as the polls show an extremely narrow race in key battleground states as the presidential campaign enters its final weeks.

Harris holds a 1.9-point lead in 538’s average of the polls in Michigan and has a similar advantage in Wisconsin. She holds a one-point advantage in 538’s average of Pennsylvania polls.

Polls also show an extremely tight race in Georgia, Nevada and Arizona.