atlanta things to do tagged interest

Georgia

Week of Sept. 16

When President Joe Biden narrowly won Georgia, he was the first candidate at the top of the Democratic ticket to do so since 1992. The Harris-Walz campaign is pushing hard to win it again, while the GOP is mobilizing to win over essential voting blocs in areas like metro Atlanta. Without the 16 electoral college votes from this key state — which also became the focus of false election fraud claims — former president Donald Trump’s path to victory in 2024 narrows significantly.

Wisconsin

The week of Sept. 30

Wisconsin is, as the state Democratic party chair puts it, “the land of the nail-biter.” The presidential vote has been decided by less than 1% in nearly every election this century. And when 20,000 votes can tip a state of almost 6 million people, any group of voters could make the difference. Vice President Kamala Harris is hoping Wisconsin will help her restore the Democrats’ “blue wall,” while former president Donald Trump aims to tear it down as he did in 2016.

Michigan

Coming the week of Oct. 7

Michigan voted reliably Democratic for decades until Trump won the Republican nomination in 2016. He delivered a major upset to then Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign and carried the state, due largely to his appeal to white working-class voters. The state with 15 electoral votes is more diverse than others in the “blue wall” that are in play, which could favor Harris. But she has work to do with the state’s large Arab-American population and other young voters who have continually expressed disappointment at the Biden administration's handling of the war in Gaza.

Arizona

Coming the week of Oct. 14

In recent history, Arizona has often supported Republican presidential candidates, including former president Donald Trump in 2016. But in 2020, Joe Biden flipped the state by a narrow margin. Now Arizona’s 11 electoral votes are up for grabs again. Both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have campaigned in the state, appealing to voters with messages focused on big national issues like the economy, immigration and abortion. How will those issues play out for an increasingly diverse and rapidly growing population?

Pennsylvania

Coming the week of Oct. 21

With 19 electoral college votes — the most of any of the swing states — the Keystone State is arguably the main focus for both campaigns. The commonwealth voted reliably for the Democratic presidential nominee from 1992 until 2012. But former President Donald Trump’s populist message during the 2016 election season landed with many white-working class voters without college degrees. They make up about half of the state’s eligible voting population, and Trump continues to appeal to them. High turnout in Pennsylvania’s population centers — Pittsburgh and Philadelphia — could tip the state toward Harris.

North Carolina

Coming the week of Oct. 21

North Carolina has been in Republican hands in presidential elections for the better part of the last half century, with the exception of Barack Obama carrying the state during his first run. But a changing population means that the Republican Party's dominance is no longer a given: Rapid growth in the Research Triangle has yielded an increase in white, college-educated voters; a sharp rise in the Latino and Asian American population; and about 1-in-5 voters is Black. Since 2008, the state has been decided, on average, by less than 2 points.