After the primaries are over, candidates from both parties start campaigning in earnest for the general election. They hold a series of televised debates, meet with voters at national party conventions, and nominate their running mates. They also face off in the Electoral College, where the candidate that receives the most electoral votes becomes president.
For months, Kamala Harris has led Donald Trump by 1-3 points in national polls and has narrow leads in the battleground states that will decide the election’s ultimate winner. Even so, she and the Trump camp both understand that the race remains a close one with early voting about to begin in many states.
That’s why the first Harris-Trump debate was so critical. It was a chance for each to clean up mistakes and make their case to undecideds and independents in the final weeks before Election Day.
For Harris, this was a crucial chance to prove that she has the chops to be the commander in chief, as well as the skills to handle a crisis. She hammered Trump on his false statements, on his refusal to release his tax returns, and on his denial of climate change. She also showed that she has a keen understanding of policy issues, including health care, taxes, international alliances, climate change and democracy itself. This was a strong performance that may have boosted her chances in the final push to Election Day.