WASHINGTON — In a recent turn of events, Vice President Kamala Harris has managed to secure a slight 2-percentage-point lead over Republican Donald Trump. This comes after President Joe Biden decided to step down from his reelection campaign, endorsing Harris as his successor, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The poll was conducted on the heels of the Republican National Convention, where Trump formally accepted his party’s nomination, and Biden’s announcement that he was stepping aside and endorsing Harris.
According to the Harris campaign, she has successfully secured the Democratic nomination. The national poll shows Harris leading Trump 44% to 42%, a difference that falls within the 3-percentage-point margin of error.
Interestingly, Harris and Trump were neck and neck at 44% in a poll conducted on July 15-16. Trump had a slight lead of 1 percentage point in a poll conducted on July 1-2. Both results were within the same margin of error.
While nationwide polls provide crucial insights into American support for political candidates, it’s usually a select few competitive states that tip the scales in the Electoral College, which ultimately determines the winner of a presidential election.
The latest poll results highlight the reasoning behind Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race and endorse Harris as his replacement.
A significant 56% of registered voters agreed with the statement that Harris, 59, was ”mentally sharp and capable of handling challenges,” compared to 49% who said the same of Trump, 78.
Only 22% of voters assessed Biden in the same way.
Biden, 81, decided to end his reelection campaign after a debate with Trump where he often stuttered and failed to effectively counter Trump’s attacks, which included false claims.
A whopping 80% of Democratic voters viewed Biden favorably, compared to 91% who said the same of Harris. Three quarters of Democratic voters agreed with the statement that the party and voters should rally behind Harris now, with only a quarter suggesting that multiple candidates should compete for the party’s nomination.
When presented with a hypothetical ballot that included independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Harris led Trump 42% to 38%, a lead outside the margin of error. Kennedy, favored by 8% of voters in the poll, has yet to qualify for the ballot in many states ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
Harris campaigned in the crucial battleground state of Wisconsin on Tuesday. She garnered support from major party figures and speculation has since shifted to who she will choose as her running mate.
Many respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll admitted they were unfamiliar with the Democrats considered as potential picks to join Harris’ ticket.
About one in four registered voters said they had never heard of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a former Democratic presidential candidate who had the highest favorability rating — 37% — of the potential Harris running mates in the poll.
One in three had not heard of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, with about the same share saying they viewed him favorably. Half of registered voters in the poll had never heard of Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and two thirds knew nothing of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
The poll, conducted online, surveyed 1,241 adults nationwide, including 1,018 registered voters.
Harris edged out trump in latest poll results #agree