No Democrat has won the state since Barack Obama, in 2008, but Party strategists are betting that heading to more rural areas could put them over the top.

If Harris’s support among Black voters continues to consolidate as it has over the past two months, then she stands a very strong chance of winning both states.

Recent polling of likely North Carolina voters gives Harris a three-point lead over former President Trump. Quinnipiac University’s Sept. 9 poll, released the day before the pair held their first televised debate, has Harris at 49 percent over Trump’s 46 percent support.