Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining ground against Donald Trump, according to a survey by a conservative pollster.
Within days, Harris was seen as the likely Democratic presidential nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race last month, following growing concerns about whether he could defeat Trump. The concerns stemmed from questions about his age and mental acuity, fueled by a poor performance during his debate against Trump in June, as well as polls showing Trump expanding his lead in key swing states.
Before Biden’s exit, polls showed Harris performing similarly, if not worse, than the president against Trump. But in the days since her ascension to the top of the ticket, surveys show her winning over swing voters and building tremendous enthusiasm among Democrats. Polls that previously indicated a strong Trump lead now show a tight race or suggest Harris is leading.
Rasmussen Reports, a pollster that is seen as leaning toward Republican candidates, is the latest to show Harris winning over more voters, though it still found that Trump has the advantage.
The poll, conducted among 2,163 likely voters from July 24 to 25 and July 28 to 29, has Trump leading Harris by 5 points (49 percent to 44 percent) in a two-way race. But when other candidates, such as independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., were included, Trump’s lead was only 1 point (46 percent to 45 percent).
Despite Trump’s lead, the poll marks an improvement for Harris compared with the pollster’s last survey, conducted earlier in July.
That poll had Trump with a 7-point lead over Harris in a two-way race (50 percent to 43 percent), as well as a race with other candidates (49 percent to 42 percent). The survey was conducted among 1,074 likely voters from July 22 to 24.
Newsweek reached out to the Harris and Trump campaigns via email for comment.
Another Republican-leaning pollster, Public Opinion Strategies, found Harris and Trump tied with 46 percent of the vote across five swing states: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, online betting company PredictIt showed Harris as the favorite to win the presidency for the first time.
Harris is expected to announce her running mate by next Tuesday. She is said to be considering Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Once her running mate is announced, the two candidates are expected to spend next week making appearances in key swing states in hopes of building upon the momentum and winning over key voters before the Democratic National Convention. That event will be held in Chicago from August 19 to 22.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
