Vice President Kamala Harris, who entered the race in late July, has the momentum going for her, according to results from two separate polls published this week.
Favorability Swells: Harris’ favorability rating jumped 13 percentage points since June to 47% and her job approval rating also climbed seven points from Dec. 2023 to 47%, Gallup’s August poll showed. The poll was conducted between Aug. 1-20, mostly before the Democratic National Convention that was held this week.
The Democratic presidential nominee enjoyed her second-highest favorability rating in Gallup polling, with her current assessment second only to the 53% favorability she received in Jan. 2021 shortly after President Joe Biden took office.
Democrats unanimously accorded her positive assessment and independents were also positively disposed toward her, the poll found.
“Biden's endorsement of Harris to take his place and the quick consolidation of Democratic support behind her candidacy rapidly changed the dynamics of the race,” Gallup said.
President Joe Biden’s favorability rating continued to remain anemic at 40%, although improving from 37% in June, potentially due to his party members supporting his decision to quit, while Republican nominee Donald Trump’s favorability declined five points to 41%. Both Biden and Trump were viewed favorably by more than eight in 10 of their own party members, while independents have a slightly more positive opinion of Trump (36%) than of Biden (30%).
Biden’s job approval rating improved seven points since July to 43% but yet remained at the 48% threshold which is the lowest on record at the time of the election for an incumbent who has won a second term. His job approval rating among Democrats improved eight points to 89% following his decision to quit the presidential race, and his job approval rating among independents also rose six points to 37%.
“Harris' unexpected spot atop the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket has sparked an increase in positivity about her, particularly among her own party,” the pollster said. Harris' nomination acceptance speech delivered Thursday night and the Sept. 10 debate will be important in determining whether opinions of her improve, stay the same or worsen in the final months of the presidential campaign,” it added.
Finding Feet In Texas: Harris trailed Trump only slightly in the Red-walled state of Texas, according to a poll conducted by the University of Houston and the Texas Southern University on August 5-16. This was a follow-up survey after the one done between June 20 and July 1.
Trump took away 49.5% support from likely voters in Texas, while Harris was a close second, with 44.6% support. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. received 2% support, while Green Party's Jill Stein and Libertarian Chase Oliver snagged 0.7% and 0.5% support, respectively. Those who were undecided accounted for 2.7% of the likely voters surveyed.
The voters in the state were mostly decided on their choices, with 96% of Harris voters and 92% of Trump voters stating they were certain about their vote choice.
Among subgroups, Trump led Harris by 18 percentage points among men, while Harris had a six-point lead over her rival among women. Among white Texans, Trump had clout, with 57% supporting him versus 38% who backed Harris. The support of Latino voters in the state was evenly split, while 77% of Black Texans supported Harris. She also found a majority support among Gen Z people who intend to vote.
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