Democrats and Republicans work to win over Black voters in final weeks before Election Day
MINNEAPOLIS — With nearly two weeks until Election Day, the polls are tighter than ever.
In the frantic last weeks of the campaign, both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are doing everything they can to get an edge.
One development that has Democrats concerned and Republicans thrilled is Trump's relative strength with minority voters.
In 2020, President Biden got 90% of the Black vote while Trump received only 9%.
But in 2024, polls show Harris is not doing as well and Trump has made gains. Harris has 78% of the Black vote while Trump has 15% — an advantage of 63%.
The bottom line is that Harris still has a huge edge among Black voters, but in an election that is expected to be razor close, the difference is significant.
If you break it down by gender, you can see a big source of the divide — 70% of Black men support Harris while 83% of Black women do. The numbers have both sides scrambling.
Attorney General Keith Ellison has been a key surrogate for Harris trying to rally support in the Black community.
"As a person who the polls don't always capture well, I can tell you that I am not sure those numbers are right, but let's just act like they are," Ellison said. "It means we have a lot of work to do. It means we have to help voters understand that Donald Trump has been frankly hostile to Black people for a long time."
On the Republican side, Minnesota Republican National Committee Member AK Kamara says Trump is gaining momentum.
"From my perspective, this is a trend that is continuing nationally," Kamara said. "I think there are a lot of Black men who see a hero in Donald Trump, a guy that is going to stand up for what he actually believes in."
Last week, Harris countered by offering up what she calls her "Opportunity Agenda for Black Men." The policies include a plan to provide as many as 1 million fully forgivable loans of up to $20,000 for Black entrepreneurs.
In these final weeks, Trump is focusing especially hard on younger Black men who polls show are especially receptive to him.
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