Vice President Kamala Harris is showing a 7-point lead over former President Donald Trump in a recent national poll, reflecting a boost for the Democratic candidate as the general election nears.
The Fairleigh Dickinson University survey, released last Friday, found Harris leading Trump 50% to 43%, with 7% of respondents supporting other candidates. Both candidates secure strong backing from their respective parties, each with 95% support from their partisan voters.
The poll highlighted that Harris’s lead becomes more pronounced when race and gender are considered by voters. Without this focus, support for Harris and Trump is nearly equal. Among independents, Harris maintains a narrower lead of 38% to 33% over Trump. She also performs well among self-identified liberals (87% to 10%), progressives (93% to 5%), and moderates (62% to 30%). Conversely, Trump leads among conservatives (76% to 19%) and MAGA supporters (95% to 4%).
Trump’s strongest support comes from men with traditional masculine identities, while Harris gains support from women and men who reject these traditional roles. Dan Cassino, a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, noted that Trump’s emphasis on whiteness and masculinity, once seen as a strength, may now be working against him. He added that race influences voter behavior, with Harris gaining significantly once voters consider racial issues.
Since assuming the top position on the Democratic ticket last month, Harris has gained momentum, challenging Trump’s previous lead in both national polls and swing states. Despite this positive news for Harris, some political analysts caution against drawing definitive conclusions at this stage.
According to a polling index by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill, Harris holds a 3.6 percentage point advantage over Trump. Trump, however, dismissed the notion of Harris’s rising support, asserting his own strong performance among Hispanic voters, Black men, and women.
The survey, conducted from August 17-20 with a sample of 801 registered voters nationwide, was carried out by Braun Research and has a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
