There has been a major shift in the presidential race with President Biden’s exit and Kamala Harris becoming the Democratic presidential nominee set to take on Donald Trump with just over three months to go until Election Day.
Overall, the race is a dead-heat according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll. Nationally, Harris now leads Trump in the race 50 percent to 49 percent among likely voters. In battleground states, the race is now tied at 50 percent each.
While the two major party nominees are now in a statistical tie, the landscape was much different for Democrats just two weeks ago when the polling showed Trump with a five point lead over Biden before he exited the race.
The July poll also showed Trump with a three point lead in a hypothetical matchup against Harris, but the vice president appears to have wiped out his advantage since taking over the top of the ticket.
Harris and Trump are now in a statistical tie both nationally and in battleground states according to the latest CBS News Poll
When third party candidates are factored in, Harris leads Trump 49 to 47 percent among likely voters.
The shift comes as Democrats have appeared to close the enthusiasm gap with the shake up at the top of the Democratic ticket. The number of Democrats who say they will ‘definitely vote’ has reached its highest point this year to date, the poll found.
Harris appears to have a boost when it comes to black voters and women from when Biden was still in the race.
74 percent of black registered voters said they will definitely vote, the poll found. That’s up from 58 percent who said the same thing in mid-July when Biden was the nominee.
When it comes to the gender gap, Trump leads Harris among men 54 percent to 45 percent, but when it comes to women the numbers are reversed: Harris leads 54 percent to 45 percent.
Voters view Harris as more energetic, focused and competent. Trump leads among voters when it comes to being viewed as tough and effective.
When it comes to cognitive health, Trump, 78, no longer as the advantage he did when facing Biden. 51 percent of registered voters say he does but 49 percent say he does not. 64 percent of voters believe Harris has the cognitive health. Only 36 percent say she does not.
When it comes to the crucial battleground states, the races across all seven are within the margin of error.
According to the CBS News poll, Harris and Trump are now tied in Arizona at 49 percent, Michigan at 48 percent, and Pennsylvania at 50 percent.
Trump leads Harris in Georgia and North Carolina among likely voters 50 percent to 47 percent and in Wisconsin 50 percent to 49 percent. Harris now leads in Nevada 50 percent to Trump’s 48 percent.
Harris with Biden on March 26 in North Carolina. 64 percent of registered voters said Harris and Biden are mostly the same on policy while 18 percent said they are exactly the same
Despite the shake up at the top of the Democratic ticket and the enthusiasm boost, voters noticeably don’t see Harris all that different from Biden when it comes to policy.
64 percent of registered voters said Harris and Biden are mostly the came on policy while 18 percent said they are entirely the same. Only 18 percent viewed them as mostly or entirely different.
The Trump campaign pushed back on the shift in polling on Sunday afternoon.
They argued in a memo that the shift was due to a methodological decision allowing ideology to change significantly. The memo claimed if not for that, Biden would lead 51 percent to 49 percent.
