Vice President Kamala Harris has made a significant leap in the 2024 presidential race, according to recent polling from the Florida Atlantic University Political Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab (PolCom Lab). The latest survey, which was released on Tuesday, shows Harris with a slight edge over former President Donald Trump among U.S. voters.
Here’s the scoop: Out of 929 registered voters surveyed between August 23 and 25, 47 percent are backing Harris, while 43 percent support Trump. That puts Harris 4 points ahead of Trump, though this lead is just outside the poll’s margin of error of 3.2 percentage points. For a bit of context, the vice president’s lead holds steady among likely voters too, with 49 percent supporting Harris compared to 45 percent for Trump.
This recent boost is a notable turnaround for Harris. Just a month ago, she was trailing Trump by 5 percentage points, according to a PolCom Lab survey conducted right before she officially entered the 2024 race on July 21. And earlier in July, another poll had Harris and Trump neck-and-neck, each with 46 percent support in a direct head-to-head matchup.
What’s more intriguing is Harris' recent surge among independent voters—a crucial demographic in any election. Back in July, this group was evenly split, with Harris at 45 percent and Trump at 43 percent. But the latest numbers show Harris gaining ground with 48 percent support from independents, while Trump’s backing among this group has dropped to 35 percent.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment but hasn't yet received a response.
The timing of these polls is particularly interesting. They come right on the heels of Harris’ formal nomination at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) last week, where she shared the spotlight with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The polls also follow the news that Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has suspended his 2024 campaign and endorsed Trump. Despite Kennedy’s endorsement, Harris’ momentum seems unaffected.
In fact, Harris’ campaign continues to gain traction. For example, a recent poll from Angus Reid Global, released on Monday, shows Harris leading Trump by 5 points among registered voters (47 percent to 42 percent). Similarly, a Morning Consult poll out this week also has Harris ahead, maintaining a 4-point lead (48 percent to 44 percent). The Morning Consult poll also highlighted a boost in approval for Walz, with 42 percent of registered voters expressing a favorable view of him after the DNC, up from 39 percent before the convention.
As of Tuesday, the average lead for Harris over Trump across national polls stands at 3.5 percentage points, according to FiveThirtyEight.
In summary, Harris’ lead is a significant shift in the dynamics of the race. With her gaining ground among independents and Trump’s campaign potentially reeling from recent endorsements, the path to the 2024 election is becoming increasingly intriguing. Keep an eye on how these numbers evolve as we move closer to the election—this is definitely shaping up to be a race to watch!
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