Elections

Former President Donald Trump is back in NC this week with a rally in Rocky Mount

Former President Donald Trump is holding what could be his last rally in North Carolina before the 2024 election in Rocky Mount on Wednesday.

The Trump campaign announced the rally, scheduled for 1 p.m., in a news release Monday morning.

The news release implies that Trump’s rally will focus on the economy, a major issue for voters this election cycle.

The event counter-programs against his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, who also plans to make at least one more appearance in the state Wednesday. Her campaign announced Sunday she plans to visit Raleigh.

And her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is scheduled to appear Wednesday in Charlotte and Asheville.

North Carolina is considered a battleground state, and both campaigns have spent time and resources trying to energize voters to cast their ballots.

Democrats, early on, made a decision to focus in on the Tar Heel State, sending President Joe Biden, Harris and surrogates to the state regularly throughout the past two years. Trump didn’t begin focusing in on North Carolina until Harris became his opponent.

While North Carolina tends to elect Republican candidates for president, the margin between the opponents is typically one of the most narrow of any state.

In 2020, Biden finished behind Trump here by just 1.3% of the vote.

More than 2.8 million North Carolina residents have cast early ballots. The election takes place on Nov. 5 .

Under the Dome

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This story was originally published October 28, 2024 at 11:13 AM.

Danielle Battaglia
McClatchy DC
Danielle Battaglia is the D.C. correspondent for The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer, leading coverage of North Carolina’s congressional delegation and elections. She also covers the White House. Her career has spanned three North Carolina newsrooms where she has covered crime, courts and local, state and national politics. She has won two McClatchy President’s awards and numerous national and state awards for her work.
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