In recent decades, presidential candidates have not typically invested significant time and resources down south, dismissing Georgia and our southern neighbors as Republican territory. Things are changing, but none of our neighbors have garnered national attention as a new swing state quite like ours. Now that Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, she and former President Donald Trump are each making their cases to Georgia voters to send them to the White House in 2025. We’ve heard from each of them on the usual issues like inflation, jobs, taxes, and foreign policy. But each candidate has also taken special care to voice their strong support for protecting Social Security on multiple occasions, which speaks to how important this issue is to the 2024 election.
According to a recent poll, the presidential race is nearly a toss-up with Georgia voters, with former President Trump leading Vice President Harris by a narrow two points generally, and a larger margin with Georgia voters over age fifty. With over-fifty voters being the most motivated voter group, the candidates would be wise to make sure they are pledging to protect what’s important to this demographic. 83% of these fifty and older voters said that the candidates’ position on Social Security is going to inform their decision at the polls in November, followed closely by Medicare at 75%. An earnest pledge to protect these programs from the Oval Office is going to be critical to the success of the winner of this election.
Each candidate has been on the right side of protecting Social Security thus far. In Vice President Harris’ first official speech as the Democratic candidate in Wisconsin, she alleged that former President Trump was going to cut Social Security. Former President Trump has also used this as a jab against the Harris campaign multiple times while promising to protect the program, and he recently vowed to “save Social Security” in a speech in New Jersey. However, there are still a few months left of campaigning, so it’s important that Georgia voters continue to press both candidates to hold their ground and remind them of the important role that Social Security plays in ensuring a decent retirement.
This election year has been an unprecedented one, with President Joe Biden dropping out of the race with less than four months to election day and an attack on former President Donald Trump’s life at his Pennsylvania rally. It’s true that voters are typically more engaged than usual during a presidential election year, but it would be safe to say that voters here in Georgia and across the country are paying more attention than ever in 2024 with the way this election has unfolded thus far. Former President Trump and Vice President Harris must ensure they stay on the right side of Social Security messaging if they want to convince Georgia voters they are the best choice to preserve this important program people have spent their lives working hard to pay into.
