Harris Gets DNC Boost But Race With Trump Remains Tight

Vice President Kamala Harris received an expected boost from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last week, but former President Donald Trump is still polling well as surveys continue to point to a close election in November.
Harris and other high-profile Democrats emphasized messages of “freedom” and “democracy” during the DNC, where issues like reproductive rights and health care took center stage. Harris sought to build on Democratic enthusiasm that was renewed after she took over at the top of the ticket.
Harris emerged as the Democratic nominee when President Joe Biden withdrew from the race in July. Biden faced pressure to step aside following a widely criticized debate performance against Trump that fueled concerns about his age and as polls showed him trailing in battleground states.
Harris inherited a dire polling situation for Democrats at the presidential level but quickly turned it around to build a narrow lead over Trump. Her candidacy generated excitement among the Democratic base, led to record-breaking fundraising and saw her rapidly increase her standing in the polls.
Her lead held throughout several polls released during the DNC, as candidates typically receive a polling boost during and after their party’s convention. But the same polls suggested that the election remains close.
Newsweek reached out to the Harris and Trump campaigns for comment via email.
A new poll from Angus Reid Global delivered Harris some of her best news in recent days, finding that she held a 5-point lead in a head-to-head against Trump (47 percent to 42 percent). That poll was conducted among 1,758 registered voters from August 19 to August 23, the same week as the DNC.
An RMG Research poll, conducted on behalf of the Napolitan Institute, found Harris and Trump tied, each receiving 49 percent of the vote, in a head-to-head. The poll surveyed 2,404 likely voters from August 19 to August 22.
When independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was included in the poll, Harris held a 2-point lead (48 percent to 46 percent). Kennedy left the race on Friday, throwing his support behind Trump. Polls suggested he appealed more to Republican voters, meaning his absence may be more of a headache for Harris moving forward.
Most pollsters have not released surveys of the battleground states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—since the DNC began, so it remains unclear how the race for victory in those states may be affected by the convention.
One Michigan poll, conducted by TIPP Insights among 741 likely voters from August 20 to August 22, found Harris leading by 2 points (48 percent to 46 percent). The poll was conducted during the DNC.
The survey found that even though Harris won the support of a majority of Michigan voters, some still preferred Trump’s approach to key policy issues.
For instance, the poll found that 52 percent of respondents said they trusted Trump to improve national security, while 39 percent said they had more trust in Harris to do so. Meanwhile, 49 percent said they trust Trump more to grow the economy, while 43 percent trusted Harris more to grow the economy.
FiveThirtyEight’s polling aggregate showed Harris with a 3.4-point lead on Monday. This marks a notable improvement from Biden’s standing.