Jill Biden Targets Rarely Polled Voters as Campaign Struggles

First lady Jill Biden on Monday is launching an outreach effort which includes targeting members of the United States military, who are rarely polled about their voting preferences.

The move comes as President Joe Biden's campaign team works to move past concerns around the incumbent after a damaging debate performance late last month.

The first lady is set to announce the formation of Veterans and Military Families for Biden-Harris during Monday stops in Wilmington, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Columbus, Georgia. According to the Associated Press (AP), these states have large populations of veterans and military families, which could prove to be a critical demographic in influencing the 2024 election outcome.

"Our veterans and military families are the brave and the bold, who step forward for all of us," Julie Chavez Rodriguez, President Biden's campaign manager, told the AP. "They deserve a commander in chief who respects their bravery and understands personally their sacrifice, not one who denigrates them for being willing to put their lives on the line for our democracy."

Newsweek reached out to Biden's campaign via email on Monday for further comment.

The outreach effort could capitalize on potential shifts in the voting patterns of military personnel in recent years. An analysis in 2021 by The Economist showed that political preferences of service members at military bases, which have traditionally leaned conservative, swung significantly towards Democrats in the 2020 presidential election, with a shift of eight percentage points compared to a nationwide swing of just two points​​.

However, the political leanings of service members are difficult to measure. According to The Economist, the Department of Defense rarely allows external polling on the political preferences​ of military personnel​, thus leading to a lack of comprehensive data on how service members' political views may be shifting over time.

U.S. Army veteran Naveed Shah wrote an opinion story published by The Hill in April that argued military families face a unique set of priorities that set them apart from other voter demographics. These families are often concerned with "kitchen table" issues such as healthcare, education and the economy, but their experiences are deeply intertwined with national security and foreign policy, Shah said. He added that such issues are likely to be reflected in their voting decisions.

Meanwhile, Jill Biden has fiercely advocated for her husband to remain in the race despite his lackluster debate performance sparking fresh worries about his age and ability to beat former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, in November's election. The president himself recently doubled down on his vow to stay in the race, despite a growing group of Democrats calling for him to step down.

The first lady's work with the new Veterans and Military Families for Biden-Harris program is also not the first time she has spearheaded efforts aimed at veterans and military families. She also leads a White House initiative named Joining Forces, which works to help military spouses get federal government jobs, as well as strives to make child care more affordable and accessible for military families.