The unprecedented destruction Hurricane Helen caused in western North Carolina could take months, if not years, to recover from. Entire communities have been destroyed and large numbers of residents have been forced to evacuate. With less than 26 days until the presidential election, both parties are scrambling to deal with unpredictable political fallout.
For Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic nominee just two and a half months ago, the aftermath of the hurricane meant canceling campaign rallies. When every minute counts in Harris’ world, especially when Democrats are responsible for flipping historically red states, it’s time lost.
But she plans to return this weekend to host a political rally in Greenville, a part of the state unaffected by the hurricane, the first political event since Helen struck 17 days ago.
For former President Donald Trump, the dire situation in deep red counties could deter voters from going to the polls. State officials addressed voting issues this week, giving affected counties more flexibility for early voting, but Democrats and Republicans responded to misinformation spread by some Republicans, including Trump himself. There was widespread opposition from both sides.
And Republicans find themselves in a decidedly unusual position. In the final stages of the campaign, they are defending what was once a solid part of the Republican map. Since 1964, Democrats have only won North Carolina twice.
Tense and unpredictable race
Neither side has seen any data showing the hurricane fundamentally shook up the race. Instead, lawmakers from both parties say the situation is as tense as ever. But right now, it’s also more unpredictable than ever.
A Trump campaign official said, “We always play like we’re down by one point.” “The biggest thing for us is the momentum that we see on the field…It’s an energy that you don’t see anywhere on the Kamala Harris team. I think we’ve lost a little bit of her energy, her momentum.”
But Morgan Jackson, a longtime state Democratic strategist who has advised Gov. Roy Cooper and state Attorney General Josh Stein, said the exact opposite is true.
“We’re seeing an incredible amount of enthusiasm for Democrats. We’ve seen a little bit of a decline in Republican enthusiasm, but a lot of it still is, and that’s based on the fact that Republicans don’t like their candidates. “There is,” Mr. Jackson said, referring to Mr. Trump’s struggling gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Governor Mark Robinson. “They… don’t like anti-abortion, social media conspiracy theorists, election deniers.”
Vice President Kamala Harris after surveying damage from Hurricane Helen in the Meadowbrook area of Augusta, Georgia, on October 2. Brendan Smialowski/AFP – Getty Images File
North Carolina continues to ebb and flow as it becomes central to both parties’ strategies to win the White House. While a Harris victory in the state could significantly hinder Trump’s path, Trump’s ability to hold on to North Carolina and capture blue wall states like Pennsylvania could thwart Harris. There is a possibility. Unlike in previous presidential cycles, Democrats have a large organization in the state that includes 340 staff members in addition to volunteers. It is a strategy to trivialize Trump’s strategy. Still, Republicans are betting the state remains solidly red.
But there are signs that some in the Republican Party are ready to move away from Trump. In March, more than 250,000 people voted for Nikki Haley in North Carolina’s Republican primary, even though she had already dropped out. Trump won the state in 2020 by about 75,000 votes.
President Trump slammed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to Hurricane Helen, saying it didn’t respond quickly enough to help people in rural areas. But his statements morphed into conspiracy theories and misinformation. They include accusations without evidence that the federal government is deliberately denying aid to Republicans affected by Helen and that FEMA is starved for spending on illegal immigrants. It included things to do.
and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who praised relief efforts and condemned those who engage in “political posturing, accusations, or conspiracy theories” in remarks widely seen as critical of President Trump. He was also challenged by members of the same party, including Claim. But after Harris posted Tillis’ statement on social media, Harris responded that he was, in fact, talking about her.
“Republicans are going to do everything they can to fix this failed response,” said Thomas Mills, a veteran North Carolina Democratic strategist. “So far, it’s not working.”
Jackson argued that those affected could see that President Trump was trying to politicize the hurricane.
“When people are focused on safety and shelter, and you’re focused on politics for personal gain, that’s a problem,” Jackson said. “It’s an electoral problem for candidates who push these narratives, these false narratives.”
Jonathan Felts, a longtime North Carolina Republican strategist who is working on building a super PAC to support Mr. Robinson, said Mr. Trump has solid support in rural areas of the state. He added that it would be wise for Republicans to do more to promote voting and early voting in the region to ensure residents can still vote after a disaster.
“The message for rural North Carolina is still zero, and the storm didn’t change that,” Harris said.
In order to benefit Republican voters who defected to Ms. Haley, Trump campaign officials have fielded surrogates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to support Trump. – Pointed out efforts to expand tents. President Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, was in the state on Wednesday. The person clarified that efforts to expand the coalition are aimed at “historically Democratic Blue Dog voters.”
Harris remains active politically even while away from the state, including visiting Japan with former President Bill Clinton. On Thursday, the campaign held a watch party for Univision’s town hall event with Latino voters in Raleigh. In a separate event, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is scheduled to visit on Friday, as will the police officers who protected the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.
Helping residents recover and vote
The Trump campaign believes that recent legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly will go a long way toward resolving voting concerns in the western part of the state. However, we are prepared to take additional measures.
“If we have to send volunteers out to cut down trees, we will send out volunteers to cut down trees so they can get out of their driveways to vote,” campaign officials said. said. “What will we do to make sure we have canned food sales and barbecues at early voting locations so that voters can come get something to eat and vote in the meantime?” If you do, make sure they vote.”
Donald Trump visits She What Furniture Store, which was damaged by Hurricane Helen, in Valdosta, Georgia, on September 30th. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images File
President Trump had set up a GoFundMe page to help victims of the storm across multiple states, including North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. It has raised more than $7.6 million to date. The Trump campaign has not said whether Trump personally donated.
Mr. Harris’ organization is well-funded and large, and is far ahead of North Carolina in this respect. For weeks, tractor-trailer trucks have been transporting water to Western North Carolina, delivering supplies to the hardest-hit areas, including picking up water from neighboring states to community centers and distribution centers, and delivering supplies such as toiletries, batteries, and nonperishable food. etc. have been transported. The Harris campaign also hosted a community meal that fed 120 families, organized similar events, and spent more than $30,000 on relief efforts. It has also set up a voter assistance hotline with hundreds of operators ready to assist voters by phone or text message.
“Our hearts go out to the people of North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helen, and we are working closely with our legal team, voter protection team, and the North Carolina Democratic Party to ensure that all voters can safely attend this event,” said Dolly McMillan. “We are working to make sure our voices are heard in the elections.” A spokesperson for the North Carolina-based Harris campaign said in a statement.
Trump’s campaign pushed back against the perception that voters were revolting from hurricane misinformation promoted online by Harris and her allies, and the Trump campaign announced that it would not be able to report the damage caused by the hurricane before Harris and President Joe Biden’s visit. He said he appeared in the area of Georgia that received the attack. Biden and Harris didn’t want to get in the way of state and local officials working to reconnect affected areas where roads and other transportation links were disrupted, Biden said at the time. In the end, Harris visited once in an official capacity after Biden toured North Carolina and went to Georgia to highlight relief efforts. Trump once visited North Carolina and held a town hall.
“He’s talking about how FEMA has been misusing dollars,” a second Trump official said, accusing the administration of misusing emergency funds, something Biden’s team has repeatedly criticized. I am objecting.
Mayor Zeb Smathers of Canton, North Carolina, which is facing a major recovery from the hurricane, said the hardest-hit residents could not afford to engage in politics and were using the storm for political gain. He said there is a possibility of counterattack against those who are deemed to be.
“There’s a time for politics, but I think the American people, who have lost so much, deserve their leaders to put politics aside and lead,” Smathers said, adding that ultimately that’s what he said. He added that it happened in a place like the town of “Together we were able to get more resources for our people, and the American people need to understand that. That’s one of our legacies through all these crises. Let’s make it happen.”
