Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Trump loses lead in 7 battleground states: 'Kamala moves the needle'

Maya Boddie, Alternet
July 30, 2024 

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images, Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Just two weeks after President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency, the new 2024 Democratic nominee is taking the lead over former President Donald Trump in several states, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

Per the news outlet's latest poll, in collaboration with Morning Consult, the vice president "has wiped out Donald Trump’s lead across seven battleground states."

Among all seven swing states Bloomberg polled, Harris leads Trump, 48 to 47 percent. The poll has her ahead but within the margin of error in Arizona (49-47); Nevada (47-45 percent); Wisconsin (49 to 47 percent); and tied in Georgia (47 to 47 percent). Biden was not leading in Georgia, Arizona or Nevada when he dropped out.

Harris is solidly ahead in Michigan, leading Trump 53 to 42 percent. But Trump remains in the lead in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania (50 to 46 percent) and is ahead in North Carolina (48 to 46 percent).

"Since last month’s survey, our swing state tracking revealed many self-identified Democrats coming home to support their party’s candidate," Morning Consult's senior director of research, Alexander Podkul, said. "Harris’ switch to the top of the ticket appears to have excited her base."

Bloomberg noted that while "the numbers suggest Harris has a shot at reassembling the voter coalition that propelled President Barack Obama to the White House" in 2008, "The race remains a toss-up."

However, the news outlet emphasizes Harris' newness to the race and that the poll "shows newfound enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket under the 59-year-old Harris. The switch-up in candidates looks set to boost the turnout in swing states, where there’s evidence that key constituencies for the party have been energized by her candidacy."

Georgia voter Robert Banks told Bloomberg, "Kamala moves the needle. People are excited."

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