United States Vice President Kamala Harris has erased former President Donald Trump’s lead in the race for the White House, with the Democratic and Republican candidates now in a deadlock, according to newly released polling data.
Harris has managed to close the gap with Trump both nationwide and in key battleground states since becoming the de facto Democratic nominee following President Joe Biden’s exit from the 2024 presidential race, as indicated by a series of polls published on Tuesday.
A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll of registered voters reveals that Harris is ahead of Trump in four key battleground states, while Trump leads in two. Specifically, Harris leads Trump by 11 percentage points in Michigan and by two points in Arizona, Wisconsin, and Nevada. Conversely, Trump has a four-point advantage in Pennsylvania and a two-point lead in North Carolina, with the candidates tied in Georgia. Apart from Michigan and Pennsylvania, all these results fall within the margin of error.
If these polling outcomes were replicated on election day, the candidate who wins Georgia would secure the presidency.
Another poll, commissioned by the Democratic super PAC Progress Action Fund, shows Harris leading Trump 48 percent to 47 percent in Georgia, while Trump is ahead by two points in Arizona and Pennsylvania. These results, first published by The Hill, also fall within the margin of error.
A nationwide Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates Harris leading Trump 43 percent to 42 percent, which is within the margin of error.
This surge in positive polling for Harris follows her rapid consolidation of support among Democrats after Biden decided to step aside due to concerns about his age and fitness, as reflected in months of poor polling.
Harris, who will be formally named the Democratic nominee on Monday, is expected to announce her running mate shortly before embarking on a tour of swing states that will decide the election on November 5. Potential vice presidential picks include Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, among others.
During a campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday, Harris stated that momentum in the race was shifting and suggested that Trump was “feeling it.” She has criticized Trump’s legal troubles and his stances on healthcare and abortion, challenging him to follow through on his commitment to debate her in September, despite his claims that he could “make a case” for skipping the event.
“Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider meeting me on the debate stage,” she said. “Because as the saying goes, ‘If you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.’”
Since Biden’s departure, Trump has portrayed Harris as holding extreme positions on issues like immigration and abortion, which he highlighted during a campaign rally in North Carolina last week. He labeled her a “radical left-liberal, San Francisco extremist” and suggested she made Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, look moderate in comparison.
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, echoed this sentiment during a campaign event in Nevada, stating, “We don’t want a wacky San Francisco liberal serving as commander in chief. We don’t want Kamala Harris.”
