UMass Dartmouth Professor on What Happened on Election Day 2024

Many Democrats are still asking themselves what happened on election day. The reasons behind Republican Donald J. Trump's decisive victory over Democrat Kamala Harris are being debated all over the country.

UMass Dartmouth Political Science Professor Ken Manning offered his own analysis during a visit to Townsquare Sunday this week.

"The reality is, Kamala Harris was running, in effect, for a second Democratic term, with an incumbent (President Joe Biden) with a 30 percent approval rating," he said. "That is a very, very steep hill to climb."

Manning believes the COVID pandemic played a significant role in the outcome.

"For a lot of folks, the pandemic left them worse off," Manning said. "They're unhappy and the mood of the country was sour, and folks wanted a new direction. At the end of the day, that was the key take away from this election."

Manning said the data shows there was a general shift of support to Donald Trump, especially from Black, Hispanic and white working-class voters and that he said suggests a wave of dissatisfaction for the way things are.

"He's certainly made strides with working-class voters, you can see that here in Greater New Bedford and Fall River," he said.

Unofficial vote totals this week showed Republican Trump defeating Democrat Harris in Bristol County, which would have been unheard of 10 years ago.

"In this election we've seen some real shifts among the Republican Party coalition, in a way that made inroads in historically Democratic groups," Manning said.

"The real question is, are these shifts permanent attachments to the Republican Party, or is it just uniquely driven by Trump's bombastic, and sometimes outrageous style?" he said. "Right now, we don't know. We're going to have to look at the data over time. "

What's next for Kamala Harris?

"Great question," Manning said. "She will obviously be looking for a job, and probably thinking about a run for president in 2028."

He expects the field of candidates for both parties will begin to shape up after the 2026 midterm elections.

The full interview with Professor Ken Manning can be heard here:

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