Two months until Election Day, Republicans, Democrats make play for North Carolina

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Standing in the middle of Downtown Cary Park, Mona Singh is holding onto handouts in support of Democratic candidates.

"We have a lot of races," said Singh, who serves as Vice Precinct Chair for the Wake County Democratic Party, as well as the Director of Outreach for TheySeeBlueNC, a South Asian grassroots organization.

Democrats have pointed to increased enthusiasm over the past several weeks, as they make a play to flip North Carolina for the first time since 2008.

"I usually get involved in some sort of a campaign, (though) never to the extent I have this cycle," Repass explained.

Repass was one of more than 4,000 volunteers who knocked on nearly 15,000 doors this past weekend in support of the Harris-Walz campaign.

"Gun safety, women's rights, stopping price gouging," said Repass, who added she valued maintaining a strong alliance with NATO.

Statewide, the Harris-Walz campaign has opened 26 offices and hired nearly 230 staffers, with plans to expand their operations in the fall.

According to 538, Donald Trump holds a half-point lead in North Carolina, a state he carried in both 2016 and 2020. Four years ago, it was Trump's closest victory, winning the state by fewer than 75,000 votes.

"I just don't see a path to the White House for Donald Trump that has Kamala Harris winning North Carolina," said Chris Cooper, a Professor of Public Affairs and Political Science at Western Carolina University.

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A Republican has not won the White House without North Carolina since 1956 when Dwight Eisenhower lost the state by about 15,000 votes. Cooper anticipates the Trump campaign will begin narrowing its focus towards battleground states as Election Day approaches.

"I think it's going to funnel down, and I think that funnel is going to include North Carolina. It's possible they spend a little bit less time in Michigan, but they can be doubling down in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. I think that is the narrowest, perhaps easiest path to victory for Donald Trump is (win) North Carolina, win Georgia, win Pennsylvania, win the White House by two Electoral College votes," said Cooper.

Since President Biden announced he would no longer seek the nomination, Vice President Kamala Harris has seen a boost in the polls and her favorability ratings, with the campaign reporting strong fundraising figures and improved voter registration figures. Cooper believes next week's ABC News debate will be important in determining whether she can ultimately maintain that momentum.

"It's really incredibly important. We're used to saying the debates don't matter much. Ultimately, in the scheme of things, they don't move a lot of voters. But this is not a normal situation. I think the American people, even the Kamala Harris supporters, don't know as much about her as they do about Donald Trump. She is still introducing herself and her separate policy issues to Americans. I think this is a pretty critical moment in her campaign," said Cooper.

Republicans have expressed confidence in their prospects, with the Trump campaign announcing Wednesday it raised $130 million in August and had $295 million on hand.

"We inform women of the policies, the issues. We accept anybody to come by and hear what we have to say," said Felice Pete, President of Wake County Republican Women.

Pete supports Trump's handling of the economy, a topic the campaign has focused much of their messaging on. According to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos Poll last month, voters favored Trump's handling of the economy and inflation.

"I definitely look at inflation on food, inflation on goods. That's another tax on the people," said Pete.

The same poll found voters supported Harris on topics including health care and protecting democracy.

"Our democracy is at stake, women's health care is at stake and everything else around it. The fact that we have law and order in this country, I think that's at stake. That's what motivates me," said Singh.