Democrat Kamala Harris has pulled ahead of Republican Donald Trump in three states that will be crucial to deciding the outcome of the US presidential election, according to a new poll released Saturday, suggesting the former president has lost the lead he has held in those states over the past year.
A New York Times/Siena College poll of likely voters found Harris leading Trump by four percentage points (50 to 46 percent) in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The three large Midwestern states are crucial to determining the winner of the November 5 election under the Electoral College system.
The new poll results mark a dramatic departure from those that have prevailed for nearly a year, in which Trump was ahead or tied with President Joe Biden, who was the likely Democratic nominee before he dropped out of the race in July and endorsed his running mate Harris to replace him.
But polls have been subject to change in the months leading up to the election, with results showing voters still favoring Trump on key issues like immigration and the economy, while pollsters gave Harris a 24-point lead on abortion.
The Trump campaign downplayed the new poll, questioning its methodology and suggesting it was released “with the explicit goal of dampening support for President Trump.”
Biden’s withdrawal and Harris’ nomination have given the Democratic Party a boost, after widespread doubts about the 81-year-old president’s ability to win a second term in the White House.
Harris’s selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as his running mate has also given the Democratic Party a boost.
The Harris-Walz duo’s entry into the fray comes as the Republican campaign has gained momentum since Trump survived an assassination attempt on July 13, but Harris has also made a big push, rising by 10 points among registered voters in Pennsylvania in just one month, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll.
Voters said Harris is smarter than Trump and that her personality makes her better qualified to govern.
Trump, his running mate J.D. Vance and a number of Republicans have launched various attacks aimed at undermining Harris, including the former president who questioned her race.
The new poll showed that Harris, who is about 20 years younger than Trump, has strong support among Democratic voters.
Democrats’ satisfaction with their party’s choice of presidential nominee increased by about 27 points in the three states covered by the latest poll, compared with May.
The poll was conducted between Aug. 5 and 9, and included at least 600 voters in each state. The margin of error is 4.5 points.
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