Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald Trump in three swing states, according to a new New York Times/Siena College poll.
Harris is beating Trump 50% to 46% in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan — a stark change from when Trump was threatening to pull away from President Joe Biden in almost every battleground state.
The new poll further illustrates Harris’s rise to lead the presidential race after Biden dropped out of the race on July 21. Democratic excitement has reverberated through fundraising, polling, and campaign operations ever since.
All three results were within the margin of error for the polls, and polled under 700 likely voters in each state. Of the three, Pennsylvania appears to be the most surprising, as Trump had consistently polled ahead of Harris and Biden in the state.
It’s also one of the first polls to take Harris’s new running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) into account. Harris announced him on Aug. 6, and the poll took place Aug. 6-9. Walz may appeal to moderate and Republican voters with his military background and past bipartisanship, but could also alienate them with his policies as governor of Minnesota, which shifted to the left compared to his time in the House.
Voters in Michigan and Wisconsin are likely somewhat familiar with Walz, given his position as the governor of a neighboring state, and may be drawn to his midwestern persona.
Trump’s chances improve in Pennsylvania when third-party candidates are included, drawing Harris’s lead down to 46% to 44%, but widening her lead slightly in Michigan and Wisconsin.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The poll also touches on all three states’ Senate races, showing Republicans trailing. Former Rep. Mike Rogers only trails 42% to 41% to Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) in Michigan, while Dave McCormick trails by 14 points in Pennsylvania and Eric Hovde trails by 8 points in Wisconsin.
The presidential race still appears to be deadlocked heading into mid-August as both candidates continue on the campaign trail. Harris has been in several swing states recently while Trump held a rally in Montana.
