US Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump are in a closely contested race across seven battleground states, just over two weeks away from the presidential election, according to a recent opinion poll.
Ms. Harris led among likely voters in Georgia with 51% compared to Mr. Trump’s 47%, while Mr. Trump had a slight advantage in Arizona, polling at 49% against Ms. Harris’s 46%, as indicated by the Washington Post/Schar School poll.
Both results fall within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, based on a survey of 5,016 registered voters conducted from September 30 to October 15.
Since becoming the party’s nominee after President Joe Biden stepped back in July, Ms. Harris also showed a lead in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin—three states where she is scheduled to campaign later alongside former Republican US Representative Liz Cheney.
This evening, the former president will hold a rally in North Carolina after inspecting the recent damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
Mr. Trump is making his third consecutive run for the White House following his loss to Mr. Biden in 2020. He continues to assert, without evidence, that widespread voter fraud influenced the 2020 election outcome and is facing both federal and state criminal charges related to his efforts to challenge the election results, among other accusations. Mr. Trump has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
As a former San Francisco prosecutor, state attorney general, and US senator, Ms. Harris aims to revive the party’s diverse coalition that includes young voters, women, and people of color, while also attracting some Republicans who are disenchanted with Mr. Trump.
The poll’s findings align with other recent surveys that reveal a tightly contested race in the seven battleground states leading up to Election Day on November 5, even though Ms. Harris appears to have a national advantage in some polls.
In total, 49% of likely voters indicated their support for Ms. Harris, while 48% backed Mr. Trump, according to the Post poll. Additionally, Reuters/Ipsos polling conducted last week reported Ms. Harris maintaining a slight 45% to 42% lead over Mr. Trump among registered voters.
Nonetheless, the outcome of the November election will ultimately be determined by the state-by-state results of the Electoral College.
The seven battleground states are expected to be crucial, with surveys of likely voters providing insight into the race’s dynamics so far.
