Trump, Harris plan western stops in campaign’s final week

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona and Nevada will be buzzing with activity in the last week before the election as both presidential candidates try to swing the crucial battlegrounds in their direction.

President Donald Trump and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris are both scheduled to hold events in the western states this week.

Trump on Wednesday has scheduled a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, on the border with Laughlin, Nevada. The event will put the president in a strongly Republican area of northwestern Arizona and about an hour from Las Vegas in that city’s television market. By holding the event in Arizona, Trump can avoid Nevada’s more stringent restrictions on large gatherings.

After that, he’ll fly to the Phoenix area for another Wednesday rally at the Goodyear airport in the West Valley.

Harris is scheduled to hold Nevada events in Reno and Las Vegas on Tuesday before traveling to Arizona on Wednesday for appearances in Phoenix and Tucson. The Biden campaign has not released details on her itinerary.

Arizona has for decades been a GOP stronghold all but ignored in presidential contests. Democrat Hillary Clinton made one visit late in the 2016 campaign before losing the state to Trump by 3.5 points.

Since then, however, Trump has seen his support flag with suburban women. That, combined with massive population growth, have put the state in play this year.

Trump sees a potential pickup opportunity in Nevada, which Clinton won by 2.4 points. Though Trump lost Nevada in 2016, he performed better than Mitt Romney in 2012 or John McCain in 2008. The state also has a higher percentage of noncollege educated whites than many other pivotal states. They have made up the base of his electoral support.

Polls have consistently shown Biden leading in both states.