Kamala Harris has shown improvement over Joe Biden’s previous performance against Donald Trump in a new poll.
In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America’s future. I made my choice.
And I would like to thank our great Vice President—@KamalaHarris.
She’s experienced, tough, capable.
She has been an incredible partner to me and leader for our country.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 25, 2024
The survey, conducted online on July 22-23, reveals Trump holding 49% support among registered voters, while Harris garners 46%, a margin within the poll’s sampling error. This is a closer race than earlier polls this year, which found Trump leading Biden by six points.
Folks, calls to violence threaten our democracy’s foundation.
You can’t love your country only when you win.
Let’s solve our problems with ballots and elect @KamalaHarris as the next President of the United States of America.pic.twitter.com/wfREMvAyNo
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 23, 2024
The poll indicates significant backing for both Biden’s decision to step aside and his continued leadership through his term’s end. Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters are largely enthusiastic about Harris as the presumptive nominee, though there is still division on whether she should continue Biden’s policies or introduce new ones. In this new Harris-Trump scenario, Harris retains the support of 95% of Biden’s previous backers, while Trump retains 92% of his former supporters.
I’m Kamala Harris, and I’m running for President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/6qAM32btjj
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 25, 2024
Those who previously did not support either Biden or Trump now split 30% for Harris and 27% for Trump, with others choosing third-party candidates or opting out. Half of Harris’ current backers stated their vote is more in support of her than against Trump, a notable change from the Trump-focused dynamics of the Biden-Trump race. Comparatively, a smaller percentage of Biden’s supporters in previous polls (37%) voted primarily to support him.
Trump’s favorability rating stands at 43%, the highest since 2020.
Tonight, I am proud to have earned the support needed to become our party’s nominee.
Over the next few months, I'll be traveling across the country talking to Americans about everything on the line. I fully intend to unite our party and our nation, and defeat Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/Bsq3N6pMAi
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 23, 2024
Trump continues to hold strong support among his core demographic groups: 67% of White voters without degrees prefer Trump over Harris, nearly identical to their support against Biden. Trump’s support is also steady among men (53% vs.
Harris narrows gap in poll
Harris and 54% vs. Biden) and Republicans (90% vs.
Harris and 89% vs. Biden). Groups that struggled with Biden’s campaign are providing increased support for Harris.
Among Harris supporters under 45, 43% are voting for her rather than against Trump, compared to 28% of Biden voters in the same category. Similarly, 57% of voters of color supporting Harris do so affirmatively, compared to 48% for Biden. Young voters (under 35), Black voters, and women show increased support for Harris compared to Biden.
Young voters previously supported Trump over Biden (49% to 42%) but now slightly favor Harris (47% to 43%). Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters are closely divided on whether the next nominee should continue Biden’s policies. Older voters and White voters with college degrees favor continuing Biden’s policies, while younger voters and voters of color seek new directions.
Nearly 9 in 10 registered voters approve of Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign, with strong bipartisan agreement. On the Republican front, nearly 9 in 10 Republican and Republican-leaning voters believe the GOP has a better chance to win with Trump as the nominee, a record high in polling.