The head of President Joe Biden's 2024 reelection campaign says she expects a "very close" presidential election, but remains confident due to "MAGA extremism."
Julie Chavez Rodriguez, in a memo, said "MAGA extremism" is proving to be "a significant barrier to victory for the GOP in key battleground states," the Washington Examiner reported.
Axios shared the memo, which was sent to "interested parties."
"We expect this to be a very close race," said Chavez Rodriguez, who added there are multiple routes to 270 electoral votes for the president.
"The fundamentals of this race show our campaign is in a strong position to win."
Chavez Rodriguez cited the 2022 midterms in which a "red wave" failed to materialize because "voters punished extreme MAGA Republican candidates," even when the national environment "was ripe for Republican gains."
Former President Donald Trump is the clear front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination — something Chavez Rodriguez says will benefit Biden.
"[There’s] an opening to grow among independent and right-leaning voters who are particularly motivated by Republican attacks on reproductive rights," said Chavez Rodriguez, the granddaughter of labor icon Cesar Chavez.
She mentioned abortion as a key issue to attract independent women, and said the Biden campaign is working to maintain support among several racial and ethnic minority groups.
The campaign manager’s memo comes at a time when Biden’s support could be fracturing.
According to a Quinnipiac survey released Wednesday, 63% of Democrat and Democrat-leaning voters say they would be willing to consider another candidate, depending on what happens in the run-up to the primary.
Chavez Rodriguez insisted Biden has an advantage because he announced his reelection bid with "a strong, united Democratic Party and progressive infrastructure" behind him. That allowed the campaign to quickly launch organizing programs and an aggressive paid media campaign.
Biden is already running general election ads in swing states, while Republicans are still attacking each other, Axios reported.
Polls indicate a different outcome, however. Trump (45%) leads by 2 points in a head-to-head hypothetical matchup against President Joe Biden (43%) in the latest The Messenger/HarrisX poll released Thursday, but that lead is within the margin of error and 12% of those surveyed were undecided.
When independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Green Party's Cornel West were added to the polling field and voters were forced to pick, Trump's lead expands to 6 points (44%-38%) over Biden and the field. RFK Jr. pulled 14% support, while West pulled just 4%.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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