A new poll published on Saturday shows just how the presidential race has changed since Vice-President Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden at the top of the ticket.
The New York Times/Siena College poll finds Harris is back in contention in four Sun Belt states that were slipping away from Democrats just weeks ago.
Harris leads Trump in Arizona 50% to 45% and in North Carolina 49% to 47%. Harris also tightened the gap in Georgia and Nevada where Trump still leads 50%-46% and 48% to 47% respectively.
Both candidates are tied at an average of 48% across the four states.
According to same poll taken when Biden was still running, Trump was leading the president 50% to 41% in Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada. North Carolina was not included in the survey because it was not considered then to be a competitive swing state.
A Democratic presidential candidate hasn’t won North Carolina since President Barack Obama in 2008. But, Democrats in North Carolina believe they can carry the state in 2024 due to the surge in Democratic voter registration in the state since Biden dropped out of the race last month.
There is also a closely watched gubernatorial race where Democrats believe the far-right MAGA candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson will drive turnout.
“Enthusiasm is being driven by the governor’s race,’ Trump’s former chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told The Hill. “Democrats are fired up about that race and I think that’s sort of trickling over into the presidential race.”
The New York Times/Siena College poll was conducted among 2,670 registered voters from Aug. 8 to 15, 2024. It has a margin of error of 4.4% for Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada and 4.2% for North Carolina.
