Now on to more perspective and reaction on the other side.

Scott Lasley is chair of the WQ Department of Political Science and a Republican magistrate, and Warren County.

He calls these unfolding events unchartered territory, but says he doesn't believe it completely resets the race.

The Trump campaign, I think, would have been more comfortable running against Joe Biden, and we were able to highlight certain weaknesses.

I don't think it's going to lead to a huge change in strategy.

The issues are going to be predominantly the same.

Even though Vice President Harris, if she does become the nominee, and I think that that's a pretty safe presumption at this point that it doesn't change the fundamentals of what issues are important.

They're going to try to tie her to Biden's policies they perceive as being unfavorable or not viewed favorably by the public.

It's still going to be Donald Trump front and center, as things usually are with him.

And so I don't think it changes those fundamentals.

I think the biggest change really comes from the Democratic side in terms of how the messages are delivered.

You know, you have a different messenger than Joe Biden.

And so I think that is the concern probably from Trump and his team, is whether she'll be a more effective messenger and and be able to kind of move the focus from Biden back to Trump.

I think Democrats are probably more comfortable having this really be a referendum on Trump where, you know, for the last month or so, it largely turned into as much a referendum on Joe Biden.

Professor Lashley says he expects the GOP to frame Vice President Harris as an extension of the Biden administration, especially on issues related to immigration and inflation.