Vice President Kamala Harris has taken a slight lead over former President Donald Trump in a recent poll that focused on which candidate voters see as representing change. The New York Times/Sienna College national poll found that 49% of respondents would vote for Harris while 46% would vote for Trump. This marks the first time Harris has led Trump in this poll since President Biden dropped out in July. Harris had a slight lead among voters who see her, not Trump, as a break from the status quo, especially among non-White and younger voters.
Despite Harris’ lead, the poll found that Trump maintained the majority of voter trust on important issues like the economy, with 48% favoring Trump compared to 46% favoring Harris. Trump also maintains an 11-point lead among male voters, who also favored him over Biden in the 2020 election. While national polls can provide insight into general voter sentiment, they don’t always predict election outcomes, which are often determined by crucial battleground states.
In a Fox News survey of registered voters in North Carolina, a key battleground state, Harris has a 2 percentage-point lead over Trump, with 50% of respondents indicating they would vote for her compared to 48% for Trump. This marks a 3-point shift in the presidential race from a month earlier when Trump held a 1-point lead. Respondents in this poll also found Trump more likely to handle the economy and make the country safe, indicating a mixed sentiment among voters in the crucial battleground state.
Overall, Harris’ slight lead over Trump in the national poll represents a shift in voter sentiment towards the vice president as a candidate for change. However, Trump still maintains strong support among voters on crucial issues like the economy, which could play a significant role in determining the outcome of the election. Battleground states like North Carolina will also play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the election, and the mixed sentiments among voters in these states could make for a close race between Harris and Trump. The upcoming election will likely be closely contested, with both candidates vying for voters’ trust on important issues facing the country.
