New polls published Saturday by The New York Times and Siena College show Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump in three crucial battleground states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The polls of likely voters reveal Harris leading Trump by an identical 50% to 46% margin in all three states.
These results mark a reversal of previous surveys, which had shown Trump either tied with or slightly leading Democratic President Joe Biden, who endorsed Harris after dropping out of the race last month.
While much can change in the nearly three months before the November 5 election, the polling shows voters still prefer Trump on key issues like the economy and immigration. However, Harris has a 24-point advantage when voters are asked whom they trust on the issue of abortion.
Democrats are energized by Harris’s candidacy, with many expressing relief after 81-year-old Biden stepped aside. Her announcement of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate has also boosted enthusiasm.
The Harris-Walz surge has cut short a rise in support for Trump following the July 13 attempt on his life and the Republicans’ successful national convention last month. Harris has enjoyed an even bigger bump in favorability, up 10 points among registered voters in Pennsylvania in just a month.
Voters see Harris as more intelligent than Trump and having a better temperament to govern. Despite Republican attacks, including Trump questioning Harris’s racial identity, the new polls show Democrats strongly supporting the younger and more vigorous Harris.
Among Democrats, voter satisfaction with their choice of candidates has shot up by 27 points in the three Midwestern states since May. The surveys were conducted between August 5 and 9, with at least 600 voters in each state.
