Biden campaign intensifies efforts in rural areas to narrow Trump’s lead

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is utilizing its fundraising muscle to open dozens of field offices in some of the country’s most Republican-leaning counties located in critical swing states.

The campaign opened more than 150 offices and hired more than 400 staffers in seven battleground states. They intend to have 200 offices and 500 staffers in place by the end of the month, the campaign confirmed to Axios.

The campaign has already opened many field offices — including 44 in Wisconsin, 24 in Pennsylvania, and 30 in Michigan, according to reporting from CNN.

Much of the election will be fought in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, known as a “blue wall” due to their historic support for Democrats. Former President Donald Trump flipped all three states to win the White House in 2016, but Biden won them four years ago. The campaign is aware Biden will need to hold onto victories in these states to secure a second term.

Biden’s campaign strategy is to cut into Republicans’ margins in rural counties where Trump won in 2020 and keep rural Biden supporters engaged ahead of the election. For example, in Wisconsin Biden now has 46 offices open in 42 of the state’s counties, which includes 23 where Trump won by double digits in 2020. They recently opened a field office in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, which Biden lost to Trump by 16 points in 2020, in an effort to cut down his margin of defeat.

Last cycle, the Biden and Trump camps took different approaches to getting out the vote in 2020, with Biden embracing COVID-19 safety protocols while Trump campaigned in- person. This year, Democrats are eager to flip the script. The new brick-and-mortar offices and robust organization stand in contrast to Biden’s virtual and drive-in rallies of 2020.

Speaking to volunteers in Nevada last month, Biden emphasized the importance of the ground game: “It’s all about tackling and making the case face-to-face with voters.”

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According to federal election records, Biden’s campaign entered April with $88.5 million in his war chest, while Trump had $45.1 million. Trump’s team has had as robust on-the-ground staffing, but the campaign said they have paid staffers in every battleground state.

“Our aggressive and experienced operation is focused on turning out votes and highlighting the contrast between Joe Biden’s weakness and failures with President Trump’s record of success,” said Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign to Axios.