Trump visits South Carolina next week to rally for Graham

More than 30 million Americans have already cast ballots, according to data collected by The Associated Press from election administrators across the country. That number sets the stage for a final week of intense campaigning that includes a scheduled stop in South Carolina.

President Donald Trump campaigned in Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday. He told the crowd his voice was audibly hoarse as he worked to boost Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Hyde-Smith faces a stiff challenge from Democrat Scott Colom. Trump said he could not take a chance on the race. He added that he expected gas prices to rise higher during the conflict with Iran but that the situation would be over soon.

Colom was present at the rally site. He told voters before the president arrived that they deserve a senator who listens and cares about their daily lives. Colom is a local prosecutor who would become Mississippi's first Black senator since the Reconstruction era if he wins. His campaign has benefited from widespread voter discontent over inflation and other aspects of the current administration.

The Mississippi event kicks off a week of aggressive campaigning for the president. Trump plans to visit states he won comfortably in 2024, including Texas and Iowa. Officials announced late Monday that he will also hold a rally in Salina, Kansas, on Saturday. That will be his second visit to the state in less than two weeks.

South Carolina is part of this final push. Sen. Tim Scott, who serves as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told The Associated Press on Monday that GOP candidates are closing very strongly in races across the country. He specifically cited South Carolina, where Trump is set to visit for the second time in as many weeks to support GOP Sen. Darline Graham. Scott spoke on the sidelines of Rep. Russell Fry's 3rd Annual Freedom Fry event. He said the president has invested the time and energy necessary to help secure a majority.

Other national candidates are also active in their home states. Former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Wisconsin with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Crowley faces Rep. Tom Tiffany in the governor's race. If elected, Crowley would be the first Black governor to lead that state. Harris called the contest tight because the stakes are high.

In Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed addressed an ad created by a group called Rebellion PAC. The ad blames high grocery prices on U.S. support for Israel. A spokesperson for El-Sayed, Roxie Richner, stated that the spot is not affiliated with his campaign. The ad had also been condemned by Rep. Haley Stevens, who lost the primary to El-Sayed.

Vice President JD Vance returned to Kansas to campaign for Sen. Roger Marshall. Marshall is in a tight contest with Democrat Adam Hamilton. Vance also visited Belgrade, Montana, earlier in the day to support Republican candidates Aaron Flint and Kurt Alme. In Kansas, Marshall told a crowd at a steel-fabricating company warehouse that Democrats are acting as if it is a presidential year. He urged Republicans to match that energy.