Vice President Kamala Harris will embark on a campaign swing through key battleground states following Tuesday’s debate with former President Donald Trump, a move that comes as a new survey suggests the race may be tightening and many voters remain undecided about her, Bloomberg reports.
A New York Times-Siena College poll released Sunday found Trump leading Harris by 48% to 47%, a result within the margin of error but indicating a potential slowdown in Harris’ recent rise in the polls and highlighting the enduring strength of Trump’s support. While many polls since Harris became the Democratic nominee in July have shown her ahead of Trump, this latest poll suggests a closer race than previously anticipated.
“The simple truth is that when a survey reflects the actual electorate, President Trump is in the lead,” said Tony Fabrizio, Trump’s chief campaign pollster, in a memo released Sunday.
Harris’ campaign, however, insists she is “underdog” in the race, despite her recent poll gains.
“She continues to campaign with that mentality,” said Brian Fallon, Harris’ senior adviser for communication, adding that there is “a lot of work” ahead before Election Day.
The poll also revealed a significant knowledge gap about Harris, with 31% of registered voters saying they need to learn more about her, compared to only 10% who expressed similar sentiments about Trump.
In response, Harris will travel to North Carolina on Thursday and Pennsylvania on Friday, both states Trump won in 2016 and 2020. Her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will campaign in Michigan and Wisconsin, while his wife Gwen will focus on Georgia, New Hampshire, and Maine. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff is scheduled to visit Nevada, Arizona, and Florida.
Meanwhile, the Harris campaign is launching a new ad in seven swing states and Nebraska, emphasizing the economy and Harris’ proposals to address issues like corporate price-gouging in grocery stores, high prescription drug costs, and the housing shortage.
“It’s time to turn a page on the divisiveness. It’s time to bring our country together, chart a new way forward,” Harris told reporters in Pennsylvania on Saturday, when asked about her message to Trump at the debate.
The New York Times poll also found that over 60% of voters believe the next president should represent a significant change from President Biden. However, only 25% associated that change with Harris, while 53% felt it was reflected in Trump.
The Sept. 3-6 poll, which surveyed 1,695 registered voters, has a margin of error of as many as 2.8 percentage points.