Vice President Kamala Harris is barely ahead of former President Donald Trump in key battleground states, according to a CNN/SSRS poll released Wednesday. The poll highlights a close race, with Harris leading in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin. However, her lead in these states is either within or just outside the margin of error, showing how tight the competition remains.
In Pennsylvania, the two candidates are tied at 47 percent, while Trump holds a 5-point lead over Harris in Arizona, a crucial state for both campaigns.
Key Issues: Economy and Immigration
When voters were asked which candidate they trusted more to handle the economy and immigration, Trump led Harris, signaling potential challenges for her campaign. Trump’s team continues to criticize Harris’ tenure as vice president, highlighting issues like inflation and the ongoing U.S.-Mexico border crisis. Both of these are seen as major liabilities that Harris will need to address.
Harris Leads on Protecting Democracy and Reproductive Rights
In contrast, Harris polls better on issues related to protecting democracy and abortion rights—two significant pillars of her campaign. Harris has positioned herself as a direct contrast to Trump, who played a role in overturning federal abortion rights and continues to deny losing the 2020 election.
In Arizona, 62% of likely voters expressed support for a state constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights, reflecting the importance of this issue in battleground states.
The Candidates’ Appeal
The poll reveals that 50 percent or more of voters in battleground states view Trump’s policies as too extreme, a challenge that could weigh down his campaign. While Harris has also been labeled as “dangerously liberal” by Trump’s campaign ads, slightly fewer voters, just under half, see her in the same light.
Senate Races: A Boost for Democrats?
Democratic Senate candidates are generally performing better than Harris in these battleground states. For example, in Nevada, Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen leads her GOP challenger, Sam Brown, by a solid margin of 50 percent to 40 percent. Similarly, Elissa Slotkin in Michigan and Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin have narrow leads over their Republican opponents. However, races in Arizona and Pennsylvania remain tightly contested, much like the presidential race itself.
Poll Methodology
The CNN/SSRS poll surveyed 4,398 registered voters across Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin from August 23 to August 29. The margin of error varied by state, ranging from plus or minus 4.5 to 4.9 percentage points.
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