In a candid assessment, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, expressed concerns about Vice President Kamala Harris’s prospects in the state, suggesting she may be struggling to gain traction against former President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a recent fundraiser, which was also attended by Sen. Cory Booker, Slotkin acknowledged that her confidence in Harris’s chances in Michigan is waning. “I’m not feeling great about where we are with Kamala Harris in a state like Michigan,” Slotkin admitted, citing internal polling that shows Harris “underwater.”
Although Slotkin declined to release specific polling numbers, her comments come as public polls indicate a tightening contest between Harris and Trump in Michigan. The FiveThirtyEight polling average gives Harris a narrow two-point lead, while a New York Times/Siena College poll shows her up by just one point. Given the margin of error, the race is effectively a dead heat.
Historical context suggests that Michigan’s electoral landscape can shift significantly in the final stretch. In 2016, Hillary Clinton held a three-point lead over Trump in September, only to see him close the gap and ultimately win the state. In 2020, Trump briefly led Joe Biden in Michigan polls before losing the state by nearly three points.
Unless one of the candidates can break away from the pack, Michigan is likely to remain a toss-up state until Election Day. Meanwhile, Slotkin is facing her own challenges in her Senate bid, trailing Republican opponent Mike Rogers by 5.7 points in a recent Atlas Intel poll.
