Poll: Harris Up in 3 Swing States

Vice President Kamala Harris now is ahead of Donald Trump in three battleground states, a poll shows—leads that are within the margin of error but suggest a change of fortunes for Democrats since President Biden left the presidential race. Polling by the New York Times and Siena College have Harris with the support of 50% of likely voters, with Trump at 46%, in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. The polling was conducted from Monday through Friday. Almost a year ago, the New York Times reports, polls showed Trump either tied or holding a slight lead over Biden in those states.

Among registered voters, NBC News points out, Harris drops to a 3-point lead in Pennsylvania and falls 3 points behind Trump in Michigan. Overall, much of Harris' rise can be attributed to her improved favorability rating since the head-to-head contest became Harris-Trump, per the Times: It rose 10 points among registered voters in Pennsylvania in the past month. A Michigan retiree who said he usually votes Republican expressed regret for backing Trump in 2016 and said he's considering supporting Harris. "Some of her character is real appealing to me. I'm not so sure I agree with a lot of her policies," Les Lanser said. "But the alternative is just not acceptable at all in my mind—because character is everything." (More Kamala Harris 2024 stories.)