Kamala Harris leads Donald Trump 44% to 42% in the U.S. presidential race
Vice President Kamala Harris has opened up a two-percentage-point lead over Republican Donald Trump, following President Joe Biden's exit from the re-election race and his endorsement of Harris, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. This is a shift from last week's poll, which showed Biden trailing Trump by two points.
The poll, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, came after the Republican National Convention where Trump accepted the nomination and Biden's announcement on Sunday that he was leaving the race and endorsing Harris. The results showed Harris leading Trump 44% to 42%, within the 3-percentage-point margin of error.
Harris and Trump were tied at 44% in a July 15-16 poll, and Trump led by one percentage point in a July 1-2 poll, both within the same margin of error.
While nationwide polls provide insight into general support for candidates, competitive states typically determine the outcome in the U.S. Electoral College, which ultimately decides the presidential election.
A pollster from Trump's campaign suggested Harris's support might temporarily increase due to extensive media coverage of her new candidacy. However, the most recent poll highlighted the reasoning behind Biden's decision to exit the race and support Harris.
The poll indicated that 56% of registered voters believe Harris, 59, is "mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges," compared to 49% for Trump, 78. Only 22% assessed Biden that way. Biden, 81, ended his reelection campaign following a debate with Trump where he struggled to respond effectively to Trump's attacks.
Among Democratic voters, 91% viewed Harris favorably, compared to 80% for Biden. Three-quarters of Democratic voters agreed that the party should now support Harris, while a quarter believed multiple candidates should compete for the nomination.
In a hypothetical ballot including independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Harris led Trump 42% to 38%, outside the margin of error. Kennedy had 8% support in the poll but has not yet qualified for the ballot in many states.
Harris campaigned in Wisconsin on Tuesday, and attention is now on her choice for a running mate. The poll showed that many voters are unfamiliar with potential candidates. About 25% of voters had never heard of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who had the highest favorability rating (37%) among potential running mates. One-third had not heard of California Governor Gavin Newsom, while half had never heard of Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and two-thirds knew nothing of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
The poll, conducted online, surveyed 1,241 U.S. adults nationwide, including 1,018 registered voters.
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