US election 2024 explained: Why is Pennsylvania such an important battleground state?

US election 2024 explained: Why is Pennsylvania such an important battleground state?

In this photo-finish race, one place has become a must-win prize for both candidates: the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The fifth-most populous state offers 19 electoral votes and is the biggest of the seven swing states. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have campaigned here aggressively, visiting the state between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic more often than any other state.

The stakes are particularly daunting for Harris. Since 1948, no Democrat has become president without carrying Pennsylvania.

Since 1992, the Commonwealth has become part of the Blue Wall of northern industrial states that have always supported the Democratic candidate — until Trump knocked it down in 2016 by a razor-thin majority.

In 2020, Biden snatched it back by another super-slim majority. Just days before election day, the polls are tied, the outcome is looking like a coin toss.

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