We are 50 days from the US presidential election. Here’s where things stand.

Both campaigns are eying Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional district, which is anchored in the Omaha metropolitan area. The district offers just one electoral vote, but in a sign of just how close American elections have become, both sides consider it crucial. Trump won it in 2016. Biden won it in 2020.

The Harris campaign hopes the Midwestern roots of her vice presidential pick, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, will help the Democrats hold onto the 2nd district. Walz will face off against Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who also has Midwestern roots, on October 1 in what could be the last debate of the election season.

Michigan, another Midwestern state, also remains competitive. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned Democrats not to believe the polls showing Harris with a comfortable lead in the state.

Both campaigns continue to pour considerable time and financial resources into Pennsylvania, where Democratic candidates have won every presidential election since 1992 except for one — when Trump won it in 2016.

Trump hopes to reclaim Pennsylvania and a handful of other states that flipped to the Democrats between 2016 and 2020: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Earlier this summer, the GOP eyed potential upsets in New Hampshire and Virginia, but recent polling shows that both states are likely to remain in the Democratic column this fall.

The vice-presidential debate looms large

Walz and Vance’s October debate in New York City will give the American public their first chance at seeing both men together onstage in a major setting.

For Walz, it’ll be a chance to sway undecided voters who may be leaning toward Harris but want to hear more from the Democratic ticket about their plans for the economy.

While Harris’ debate performance went a long way in assuaging some voters regarding her ability to lead the country, some are still undecided. Walz could be an effective conduit for those voters.

For Vance, the debate will allow him to speak about the Republican ticket’s policy message in a manner that eludes Trump, who often veers off-script.

Walz has seen favorable polling in recent weeks. Vance has not.

Vance has been highly visible in the media but has been forced to repeatedly defend himself against past stances on issues like IVF — as well as newer controversies like his remarks regarding Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio.

So while the momentum may be for now in the Democrats’ favor, 50 days is a long time in a race that has seen major shifts in time spans as short as a week. Who will be on top by the time voting is finished on November 5 remains anyone’s guess.