Minnesota voted red for the last time in 1972, when it went to Richard Nixon.

Former President Trump, Ohio Senator JD Vance and other Republican presidential candidates are planning to visit Minnesota. This state has not been won by a Republican candidate for president in 52 years.

Trump and Vance are planning to visit St. The campaign announced on Tuesday that it will be visiting St. Cloud, Minnesota, this Saturday. A Real Clear Politics article noted that Trump pollster John McLaughlin thinks the state could be in play.

McLaughlin thinks Vance, whom Trump announced on the first day at the Republican National Convention, last week, can help Trump win the state. The Ohio native is expected to appeal to voters in the Midwest.

In 2016, Trump lost the state by just 1.5% to Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State. Trump’s performance in 2020 against President Biden was not as promising, with Trump losing Minnesota that year by approximately 7%.

Polling indicates that Minnesota could become competitive again in 2024, despite the fact that it has not voted for a Republican candidate since Richard Nixon’s 1972 election. In a June poll conducted by MPR News, the Star Tribune and KARE 11 of Minnesota’s likely voters, Trump was only 4% behind Biden.

Real Clear Politics’ average polling in the state shows Trump only 3 points behind Biden. In the Hill/Emerson survey, which was included in the average poll, Trump and Biden were tied in this typically blue state.

Trump’s campaign is increasingly confident that it will be able to win more states by 2024. It has been trying to expand its map beyond the heavily contested swing-states of Arizona, Georgia Michigan North Carolina Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The campaign has been particularly interested in Minnesota and Virginia, which it believes could be won by the former president.

In recent weeks, Trump’s popularity in Virginia has been trending in the same direction as Minnesota. Real Clear Politics’ average poll shows that the former president has a small lead in Virginia. The two most recent polls show Trump ahead by two and three percentage points.

Fox News Digital reached out to a Trump spokesperson for comment. The spokesperson cited a recent Emerson survey that showed Trump with an one-point advantage in Minnesota. The spokesperson noted that eight new field offices have been opened in Minnesota.

Trump also mentioned Minnesota, citing Vance’s Midwestern roots to explain why the state might be up for grabs in November.

“J.D. “J.D. Vance has had a successful career in Technology and Finance. Now, during the Campaign he will be focused on those people for whom he fought brilliantly, the American Workers and Farmers of Pennsylvania, Michigan Wisconsin, Ohio Minnesota and beyond,” Trump said, in a Truth Social posting that announced Vance’s running mate.

Trump and Vance are in Minnesota at a time when the race is changing rapidly, as Biden announced Sunday that he would be dropping out. Biden endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris immediately to replace him at the top of ticket, which prompted Democrats to rally behind her.

There hasn’t been much polling on how Trump will fare in states that are battlegrounds against Harris, but the former president hopes to gain an early advantage by visiting the state on Saturday.