IN FOCUS - Oct. 11, 2024

Early voting has begun. Ballots will start hitting mailboxes this weekend.

We’re almost there, Arizona.

Our state continues to be a focal point for both presidential tickets. In the past week alone, both VP candidates have visited, as well as First Lady Jill Biden. Vice President Kamala Harris spent Thursday and Friday rallying supporters in Chandler and Scottsdale. This Sunday, former President Donald Trump is slated to rally his base at an event in the Republican bastion of Prescott Valley. Former President Barack Obama will reportedly hold an event in Tucson next week.

If that’s not enough, our commercial breaks are jammed with TV ads, our mailboxes are overflowing with campaign fliers and our phones are buzzing with unsolicited texts. Mercy.

The question is, will any of it make a difference in the Race for the White House? The margin between Harris and Trump in Arizona remains vanishingly thin - just a half percentage point, according to the latest Real Clear Politics average. Each of the last half-dozen reputable polls of Arizona voters have been no more than +2 Harris or +2 Trump - well within the margin of error. Nationally, the website FiveThirtyEight.com gives Harris the slightest edge in what is shaping up to be the closest presidential contest since 2000.

In that context, every rally … podcast appearance … mail drop … and televised town hall could be determinative. The campaign noise machine will only get louder.

Twenty-four days …