HARRISBURG, Pa. — President Joe Biden's poll numbers started sliding after the first presidential debate just weeks ago, signaling that former president Donald Trump may have been in the driver's seat.
A shakeup at the top of the Democratic ticket has changed the race -- which polling shows is now a statistical tie.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Trump are turning their attention to the Commonwealth, knowing it could hold the key to victory.
Shippensburg University Political Science Department Chair Dr. Alison Dagnes says a new face brought new energy to the Democratic party.
"There was practically no enthusiasm for Democrats and a lot of excitement for Republicans and now that gap is gone," Dagnes said.
"It's really created some momentum," added Berwood Yost, director of Franklin and Marshall College Center for Opinion Research. "You can see it in donors, you can see it in volunteers, you even see it in internet memes."
Many recent polls show Vice President Harris has a small lead over Former President Trump in the race for the White House.
"The people who were unhappy with both Donald Trump as a candidate and Joe Biden, that number went from 20 to eight," Dagnes said.
It comes as Former President Trump sets his sights on Harrisburg, returning to the Keystone State for the first time since the attempted assassination in Western Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, Harris is expected to appear in Philadelphia next week as both candidates eye crucial electoral votes.
"For the Republicans, Pennsylvania would be nice to have," Yost said. "For the Democrats, it's almost essential to have."
The candidates are being strategic when it comes to choosing their rally locations. Former President Trump is appearing in Harrisburg as he targets rural voters in Central Pennsylvania.
Harris is stopping in Philadelphia, a longtime Democratic stronghold Joe Biden won by significant margins in 2020.
Trump and Biden were separated by just 80,000 votes in 2020, meaning each candidate will need significant support from their bases to win.
As Harris prepares to announce her running mate next week, polls show dwindling support for Trump's vice president pick, Senator JD Vance.
"I would expect Vance to play a softer role," Dagnes said.
While several names are circulating on the Democratic side, Harris may not look far to find her pick.
"A choice like a Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania suggests that she's looking for a moderate voice in her administration to balance her perhaps more progressive instincts," Yost said.
Shapiro won Pennsylvania in 2022 by more than 700,000 votes, a model Democrats will no doubt try to replicate in November.