President Trump and former Vice President Biden will debate on stage tonight in Cleveland Ohio for the first time. They will discuss their history, the coronavirus, the economy, and more. Republican strategist Henry Barbour says President Trump stands to gain supporters in Mississippi from this debate. He believes the first hour could set the tone for the remainder of the race. Barbour says "It's these middle-ground issues like public safety, securing our borders, supporting our police, but getting public safety to all Americans, and I think to some extent he needs Biden to have a few moments where he just doesn't look like he's his old self."
Democratic-leaning voters have different priorities such as healthcare, job security, and racial justice issues says Mississippi Democratic Party Chair Tyree Irving. He says the debate itself may not bring many new supporters to the Biden camp in Mississippi. Irving believes many swing voters may have already decided because of what he calls the president's unfulfilled promises and coronavirus response. "I think healthcare is a big concern of Mississippian, and in addition to that employment is always a concern particularly in the African American community," says Irving. "A lot of [jobs] vanished as the lack of attention to the coronavirus situation."
In 2016 President Donald Trump won the state's 6 electoral votes, beating Hillary Clinton with nearly 58% of the state's popular vote.
