Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are locked in a tight contest, with the two candidates tied in a head-to-head matchup. Harris has a 1-point lead on a multi-candidate ballot without Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who dropped out and endorsed Donald Trump on Aug. 23.
WHY IT MATTERS
Kamala Harris only polls slightly better than Joe Biden did in June before his debate with Donald Trump. This is despite a month of highly positive press coverage since replacing Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee for president and filling the national airwaves during the Democratic National Convention.
Click on the image below to read the full report…or read the summary below.
Wrong Track Still Dominates
- 69% of Americans say the country is on the wrong track, including 91% of Republicans, 44% of Democrats, 71% of swing voters.
- 31% of Americans say the country is moving in the right direction, including 9% of Republicans, 56% of Democrats, and 29% of swing voters.
- The net 39-point wrong direction is a 7-point improvement since May, driven by improved sentiment among independents, Democrats, and young women.
Biden Approval Improves After Dropping Out
- 43% of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing as president – an improvement since the spring and early summer. The improvement is driven by support from blacks, moderate voters, and single women.
Harris Approval Higher Than Biden’s
- 47% approve of the job Kamala Harris is doing as vice president – 4 points higher than Joe Biden’s approval. This difference in approval is driven by better marks from Democrats, independents, blacks, and young voters.
GOP Maintains Lead for Congress
- The GOP maintains a 2-point lead in the generic ballot for Congress, 46% to 44%, with a 4-point lead among likely voters. This is consistent with the lead they have had for the past eight months.
- Only 6% of likely voters are undecided, the lowest number we have tracked since we began tracking in May 2023.
Trump & Harris Tied
- Trump and Harris are tied 47% to 47% in a head-to-head matchup among registered voters.
- Trump maintained his lead with likely voters, compared to a matchup with Joe Biden. Harris’s improvement over Biden comes from less likely voters, swing voters, blacks, and young women. Meanwhile, Trump has strengthened among men and white voters.
- In a multi-candidate ballot without Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Kamala Harris has 45% to 44% lead.