Despite concerns from his own pollster that replacing Vice President Kamala Harris as the likely Democratic nominee could knock him out of the lead, former President Donald Trump has maintained his edge in key battleground states. The just-released Emerson College Polling-Hill newspaper survey shows that Trump still leads the Democratic ticket in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania and is tied in Wisconsin.
Harris, who was endorsed by President Joe Biden when he dropped out of the race on Sunday, did gain support among younger voters, a trend cited in other polls. But the poll did not indicate a significant shift as feared by the Trump team, and it was consistent with the new CNN survey, which also showed Trump leading nationally with 49% to 46%. The new survey showed that in Arizona, 49% support Trump, and 44% support Harris. In Georgia, 48% support Trump and 46% Harris. In Michigan, 46% support Trump and 45% Harris. In Pennsylvania, 48% support Trump and 46% Harris. In Wisconsin, 47% support Harris and Trump.
“Harris has recovered a portion of the vote for the Democrats on the presidential ticket since the fallout after the June 27 debate,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, according to the Washington Examiner. “Harris’s numbers now reflect similar support levels to those of Biden back in March.” He added: “Young voters have shifted toward Harris: Her support compared to Biden increased by 16 points in Arizona, 8 in Georgia, 5 in Michigan, 11 in Pennsylvania, and 1 in Wisconsin since earlier polling this month.” Harris also has a better favorability rating than Biden, but hers, too, is underwater.
Harris is also not receiving unanimous endorsements from Democratic Party leaders, with one congressman notably breaking with his party on Friday over support for the VP. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), who has consistently supported Biden on Capitol Hill, declined to endorse the new nominee. This decision came on the same day that former President Barack Obama endorsed her, joining a number of other prominent figures in the party.
The Maine Democrat told a Portland television outlet “absolutely not” when asked whether he backs Harris at this critical moment. Additionally, he was among six Democrats who sided with all the House Republicans in condemning the vice president for her shortcomings as the head of the administration’s border policy.
While he awaits to see “what her vision for the future of the country is,” Golden said in a statement that Harris must work to earn the trust of Maine voters, especially as it appears she is on a glide path to secure the party’s nomination without a serious challenge at next month’s convention in Chicago. “I expect to have to work to earn Mainers’ votes and our candidates for President should expect the same. Kamala Harris has been a candidate for president for less than a week, and I look forward to learning more about what kind of leader she would be,” he told WGME.
On Thursday, six Democrats in the House voted in favor of a resolution criticizing Biden’s administration and Harris for their “failure to secure the United States border.” H.Res. 1371, introduced by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, formally denounced “Border Czar” Harris for her immigration policy following her role in reducing illegal immigration along the southern border during the early days of the Biden administration. The House approved the resolution with most Democrats voting against it but a half-dozen joining 214 Republicans in supporting it.
“By every metric, Kamala Harris has failed to secure our borders, instead advancing Far Left Democrats’ failed open border policies and the needs of illegal immigrants over the safety of Americans. My resolution condemns Kamala Harris’ role as Joe Biden‘s open border czar and affirms that the American people deserve elected officials who understand the gravity of the crisis at the border and will work to secure the border,” Stefanik, of New York, noted on X in a post that contained a video of her House floor speech.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.