New polling data suggests that Vice President Kamala Harris is struggling to maintain a clear lead over President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race. According to a Cygnal poll, Harris holds a slim 0.6% lead over Trump, with third-party candidates making the contest even tighter. When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is included, Trump pulls ahead by a small margin, reflecting the difficulties Harris faces in broadening her appeal.
Pollster Chris Lane observed that while Harris enjoys strong support from traditional Democratic voters, she has yet to make significant inroads with Independents and moderates. Lane also pointed out that 71% of likely voters view Harris as “liberal,” which could alienate the swing voters needed to win key battleground states.
On critical issues like the economy, inflation, and border security, Trump holds the advantage. For example, 52.6% of voters trust Trump more on illegal immigration, compared to 37.7% for Harris. Even some Democratic voters express more confidence in Trump on these topics, further narrowing Harris’ potential support base.
This polling landscape is reminiscent of the 2020 election when Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger came under fire for refusing to validate signatures on mail-in ballots, opting instead to recount them. Critics argued that this approach did nothing to address concerns about ballot authenticity, much like how Harris’ handling of key issues has left some voters skeptical of her leadership.
While Harris does lead on issues like abortion rights, the overall race remains too close to call. With swing states still undecided, the tight polling suggests that Harris faces significant hurdles as the campaign progresses.
