Biden takes competitive tone as midterms approach

(NewsNation) — All eyes are on the campaign trail as Thursday marks 60 days to the November midterm elections.

Over the last few weeks, President Joe Biden has taken more of a competitive approach, calling out former President Donald Trump and those he considers “MAGA” Republicans in a recent speech.

The president will leave on Thursday to speak at a special fundraiser in National Habor, Maryland, held by the Democratic National Committee.

According to the Associated Press, Biden is traveling to Ohio on Friday, and Michigan next week to promote his policies in states where Democrats face tight races with Republicans. Although it may be a tough task, especially in light of inflation, and contentious issues like abortion at the forefront of many people’s minds, the AP notes that Biden ended the summer on a legislative winning streak.

His victories include the passage of the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act.

Democratic strategist Brad Howard told NewsNation that it’s important for incumbents to explain what they’ve already done for voters, as well as what they’re going to do for them in the future.

“We’ve got a great story to tell with what we’ve done with voters under the Biden administration,” Howard said.

With this in mind, Biden has seen some momentum recently.

His approval numbers are at their highest level in a year, up almost 10% in Quinnipiac University polls, although they still remain somewhat low in many key battleground states.

Arizona is one of these battlegrounds: incumbent Sen. Mark Kelly (D) is up less than 5% over Blake Masters (R), according to Decision Desk HQ, while in Ohio and Georgia, races are even tighter. Both are split by only 1.9%.

Other races that are projected to be competitive include the Florida U.S. Senate race. Decision Desk HQ pollsters predicted a close race between incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican, and Democrat Rep. Val Demings, as did an AARP Florida poll that showed a narrow 49%-47% lead in Rubio’s favor.

In Alaska, the race between former Gov. Sarah Palin (R), former U.S. Rep. Nick Begich (R) and Mary Peltola, a former state representative (D), has brought in around $3 million, but most of the money so far has gone to the Republicans. Through Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, four people can be on the ballot, but Republican Tara Sweeney dropped out of the race, according to Alaska Public Media.

In Pennsylvania, much national attention has gone to the Senate race, where current Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is up against television personality Mehmet Oz, a Republican.

Fetterman suffered a stroke earlier this year. Oz has criticized his health and accused him for refusing to debate. In light of his health, Fetterman’s team has called for accommodations to be made.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.