Walz vs. Vance: Who Won VP Debate, And Could The Outcome Shift 2024 Election For Harris Or Trump?

A vice-presidential debate between Tim Walz and J.D. Vance has voters split on who won the 90-minute contest and could have minimal impact on the 2024 presidential election.

Politico Poll Results: According to a Politico poll, the highly anticipated debate hosted by Paramount Global PARA PARAA unit CBS News may have a split winner.

The poll of 902 people asking who won the VP debate produced a 50%/50% result for Vance and Walz.

"The dead-heat results are a fitting reflection of the country's hyper-polarized politics – particularly as it enters the final stretch of the closest presidential election in years," Politico writes.

While there was no overall winner, each candidate and their respective political parties could have something to brag about.

Walz won among independent voters with 58% of the vote, ahead of Vance's 42%. Walz also polled strong as the debate winner among younger voters, Black voters and Latino voters.

Vance won the debate according to people over the age of 55, White voters and voters with a college degree.

Politico said both men and women were split on a winner, voting 50%/50% for Vance and Walz. This could be an important win for Vance, as female voters have sided with Kamala Harris in recent 2024 election polls.

Politico asked which candidate would be a better vice president, regardless of if a voter watched the debate. This question also saw an equal split, with Vance and Walz each getting 47%, while 7% of voters were unsure.

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Washington Post Poll Results: A survey from the Washington Post engaged swing state voters who remain undecided between voting for Harris or Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

Ahead of the VP debate, the survey of 23 voters broke down as follows:

Probably Voting Harris: 9
Probably Voting Trump: 12
Undecided: 2

The survey found that 12 voters, representing the majority, believed Vance won the debate, while eight voters thought Walz performed better.

After the debate, the voters were asked again how they would vote in the 2024 election, which broke down as follows:

Definitely Voting Harris: 6
Probably Voting Harris: 3
Undecided: 1
Probably Voting Trump: 8
Definitely Voting Trump: 5

The Washington Post survey of swing state voters showed that Vance's performance in the VP debate may have won over support for the Republican Party.

One of the voters who said they were leaning towards voting for Harris moved to probably voting for Trump after the debate. Of the two undecided voters before the debate, one leaned toward voting for Harris, contributing to a mixed outcome for the candidates.

Why It's Important: As Benzinga shared earlier, a CNN flash poll found a mixed result, with 51% saying Vance won the debate and 49% saying Walz won.

The post VP debate poll also found that Walz had a +37 point net favorability, while Vance had a -3 point net favorability. The net favorability rankings ahead of the VP debate were +14 points and -22 points for Walz and Vance respectively.

Both candidates gained support from the vice-presidential debate.

One remaining question is how many people watched the VP debate with the ratings still to come. A poll done by Benzinga on X showed that only 46.2% were planning on watching the debate, with 24.2% saying they would watch the debate.

While the polls point to a mixed result, Vance likely has a slight edge in several polls and metrics. This could be good news for crypto bettors who backed the Democratic candidate as the winner on the prediction market Polymarket.

Walz was heavily favored to win the VP debate, with Polymarket giving him a 73% chance ahead of the event. However, by Wednesday morning, following Tuesday's debate, his odds had dropped to 39%, according to a YouGov poll.

A recent weekly Morning Consult poll showed Harris with a five-point lead. The same poll showed Walz with a net favorability rating of +6 and Vance with a net favorability of -9.

Next week's poll could reveal whether the VP debate further influenced favorability rankings for Vance and Walz, as well as its impact on the head-to-head matchup between Harris and Trump.

Vote for your winner in the debate in Benzinga’s poll below: