Washington, DC: A series of polls have shown that Vice President Kamala Harris is surging ahead of former President Donald Trump in key battleground states.
According to a Cook Political Report survey, Harris holds an average 48% - 47% lead over Trump across seven battleground states, outperforming him in all but Georgia, where they are tied, and Nevada, where Trump has a slight edge. When third-party candidates are included, Harris's lead increases to 46% - 44%.
The Cook Political Report's swing state poll reveals that Harris has gained six points against Trump since May. In a one-on-one contest, Harris leads Trump 48% - 46% in Arizona, ties with him at 48% - 48% in Georgia, leads 49% - 46% in Michigan, holds a 48% - 47?ge in North Carolina, marginally leads 49% - 48% in Pennsylvania, and has a 49% - 46?vantage in Wisconsin. She only trails in Nevada with 45% - 48%.
When factoring in third-party candidates, Harris's standing shifts slightly. She leads Trump 46%-42% in Arizona, remains tied in Georgia at 46%-46%, maintains a 46%-44% lead in Michigan and North Carolina, increases her lead to 48% -43% in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and falls further behind in Nevada with 42% -47%.
In a two-way matchup, Harris holds a 1.1-point lead over Trump in the most recent national RealClearPolitics aggregate polls. Yet, this lead narrows to 0.8 points when third-party candidates are added.
The Cook Political Report's findings also spotlight Harris's success in North Carolina, a state often considered one of the most reliably Republican among battleground states. According to the most recent RealClearPolitics aggregate, Trump maintains his second-largest advantage in North Carolina with a 2.4-point lead, only trailing his 3.5-point lead in Nevada. Notably, Nevada has not voted Republican in a presidential election since 2004.
Harris's overall performance has narrowed Trump's lead in the swing states by about six points since May. Back in May, the Cook Political Report's survey indicated that Trump led Biden by an average of three points across the same battleground states, either leading or tied with him in all seven.
The latest poll from Cook Political Report, conducted from July 26 to August 2, sampled 2,867 likely voters. It was conducted by GS Strategy Group, a Republican polling firm, and BSG, a Democratic polling firm.
Trump's campaign has anticipated a tightening of poll numbers after Harris was promoted to the top of the Democratic ticket last month.
