Kamala Harris Achieves Battleground State Swing Against Donald Trump

Vice President Kamala Harris has managed to regain some of the support that President Joe Biden was losing in key battleground states, according to a recent poll. This development comes as Biden exited the 2024 presidential race on Sunday and endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee to challenge Donald Trump, the Republican contender, in the upcoming election. Should she secure the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August, Harris would make history as the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to lead a major party's presidential ticket.

The latest Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey reveals that Harris is currently trailing Trump in four critical swing states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—while she is tied with him in Wisconsin. Despite these positions, Harris has outperformed Biden's support levels in all five states compared to an earlier survey from early July.

The poll, conducted between July 22 and 23, shows Harris with 44 percent support in Arizona versus 49 percent for Trump. In Georgia, Harris garners 46 percent support, while Trump leads with 48 percent. Michigan shows Harris at 45 percent support and Trump at 46 percent, and in Pennsylvania, Harris holds 46 percent compared to Trump's 48 percent. In Wisconsin, both Harris and Trump are tied at 47 percent. The poll has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.

These figures mark an improvement for Harris over Biden's performance in these states, based on an Emerson College Polling survey conducted from July 15 to 16. During this period, Biden was facing mounting pressure to withdraw from the race following a problematic debate performance against Trump in late June, which sparked concerns about the 81-year-old president's age and his capability to defeat Trump. Additionally, Trump was experiencing a surge in support after surviving an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.

The new poll indicates that Harris has surpassed Biden's support in several states: she is four points ahead in Arizona (44 percent compared to Biden’s 40 percent), five points ahead in Georgia (46 percent to Biden’s 41 percent), three points ahead in Michigan (45 percent to Biden’s 42 percent), three points ahead in Pennsylvania (46 percent to Biden’s 43 percent), and four points ahead in Wisconsin (47 percent to Biden’s 43 percent).

Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling, noted, "Harris has managed to recover a segment of the Democratic vote for the presidential ticket following the fallout from the June 27 debate. Her current support levels are comparable to those of Biden in March."

Kimball also highlighted a notable shift among young voters, with Harris gaining increased support compared to Biden. "Compared to earlier polls this month, Harris's support among young voters has risen by 16 points in Arizona, eight points in Georgia, five points in Michigan, 11 points in Pennsylvania, and one point in Wisconsin," Kimball added.