By mid-October 2024, the U.S. presidential race has become much closer between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, indicating a fiercely competitive election ahead. Several national surveys indicate that the distance between the two contenders has decreased, sparking worries among Democrats and boosting Trump’s campaign.
In a recent poll conducted by NBC News, Harris is only one percentage point behind Trump, with Trump receiving 47% of support from registered voters while Harris has 46%. This indicates a significant change from earlier in the campaign when Harris held a more sizable advantage.
Similarly, a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll shows a more competitive field, with Harris’s lead among likely voters falling from 52% to 50% during the past month. However, a recent CBS News/YouGov poll indicates that Trump is closing the gap as Harris leads the country, albeit by a slim margin of 51% to 48%.
The RealClearPolitics survey average, which aggregates data from multiple surveys, presently shows Harris’ lead narrowing to just 1.4 percent, a considerable decrease from earlier this year. These trends have raised concern among Democrats, particularly in key swing states. According to internal Democratic polls, Harris is losing ground in critical swing states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, which helped President Joe Biden win in 2020.
The narrowing margin has given an edge to Trump and the Republican Party. Trump still enjoys robust support from the voters on key issues, especially the economy and immigration. Harris has had to struggle to gain support on the same issues. Throughout constant legal disputes and controversies from his first term, the support for Trump has remained faithful, and his crew has capitalized by piling up growing concerns over inflation and border security.
Both camps are intensifying their efforts at wooing those who have not yet made a decision or firm up support among their ranks. Harris spoke to those aspects of the administration’s successes on infrastructure, healthcare, and climate change.
But for all his talk about previous economic wins under his former presidency and the promise to “bring back American greatness,” it all boils down to one event: The election going to be one that will be campaigned with zeal and strategic tactics. According to polls, it should be a close contest.
