Pence targets battleground states with Election Day media blitz

Vice President Pence spent much of Election Day doing local media interviews in key battleground states likely to decide the presidential election, hoping to turnout voters in the final hours of the race.

As of 3 p.m. Eastern, Pence had participated in 16 television and radio interviews for stations in Florida, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin. The vice president also phoned into the “What’s on Your Mind Show,” which reaches Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Pence is expected to spend the late afternoon and early evening doing additional local media in Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

The bulk of Pence’s media appearances were in Florida, with interviews on Telemundo, Univision and WFTV, in a nod to the importance of the Sunshine State and Hispanic voters. The vice president previously identified Florida as a state of “great importance” for Trump to win reelection.

The last-minute local media barrage comes as the Trump campaign is hoping for a robust Election Day turnout to overtake Democratic advantages in early voting. Tens of millions of Americans cast their ballots before Tuesday, largely due to coronavirus concerns.

Both campaigns have been focused on Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, which has emerged as a potential tipping point state. Pence campaigned in the Keystone State in person Monday, and Democratic nominee Joe Biden made a final stop in Scranton on Tuesday.