On Thursday, The New York Times (NYT) reported that despite positive evaluations from American media following her strong performance in the last presidential debate, Vice President Kamala Harris faces a tight race in the Democratic presidential nomination.
New surveys by The Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Siena College reveal that Harris has struggled to capitalize on her debate success. The analysis shows that both she and Republican candidate former President Donald Trump have equal support at 47%. Harris holds a slight lead with 50% in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania compared to Trump’s 46%.
Since Harris became the Democratic presidential candidate in place of President Joe Biden, Democratic supporters have shown signs of grouping once again. However, as autumn approaches, many voters perceive Harris as overly progressive, which could be a potential vulnerability.
The survey also indicated that the percentage of voters wanting to learn more about Harris remained unchanged before and after the debate, suggesting she missed an opportunity to build on her performance. Comparisons made before and after the debate show no significant shifts in voter perceptions regarding the candidates’ policies.
54% of respondents expressed confidence that Trump would handle economic and immigration issues better than Harris. Her perceived strength on the abortion issue also remained consistent, with 54% indicating trust in her on this matter.
Three organizations conducted the survey from September 11 to 16. It included responses from 2,437 voters nationwide and took place before the second assassination attempt on Trump.
