Kamala Harris kicks off campaign with small lead over Donald Trump: poll

U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris opened up a marginal two-percentage-point lead complete Republican Donald Trump aft President Joe Biden ended his re-election run and passed nan torch to her, a Reuters/Ipsos canvass found.

That compares pinch a marginal two-point shortage Biden faced against Trump successful past week’s canvass earlier his Sunday exit from nan race.

The caller poll, conducted connected Monday and Tuesday, followed some nan Republican National Convention wherever Trump connected Thursday formally accepted nan information and Biden’s announcement connected Sunday he was leaving nan title and endorsing Harris.

Harris, whose run says she has secured nan Democratic nomination, led Trump 44 per cent to 42 per cent successful nan nationalist poll, a quality wrong nan 3-percentage-point separator of error.

Harris and Trump were tied astatine 44 per cent successful a July 15-16 poll, and Trump led by 1 percent constituent successful a July 1-2 poll, some wrong nan aforesaid separator of error.

While nationwide surveys springiness important signals of American support for governmental candidates, a fistful of competitory states typically tilt nan equilibrium successful nan U.S. Electoral College, which yet decides who wins a statesmanlike election.

A pollster pinch Trump’s run played down immoderate polling showing an summation successful Harris’ support, arguing that she was apt to spot a impermanent emergence successful fame because of wide media sum of her caller candidacy.

“That bump is apt to commencement showing itself complete nan adjacent fewer days and will past for a while,” pollster Tony Fabrizio said successful a memo circulated to reporters by Trump’s campaign.

Candidates often expect a bump aft formally accepting their party’s information astatine stage-managed, televised conventions specified arsenic nan 1 that Trump had past week. But nan canvass showed nary motion of that.

Bump aliases not, nan astir caller Reuters/Ipsos canvass underscored nan rationale for Biden dropping retired of nan title and for Harris replacing him connected nan ticket.

Some 56 per cent of registered voters agreed pinch a connection that Harris, 59, was “mentally crisp and capable to woody pinch challenges,” compared to 49 per cent who said nan aforesaid of Trump, 78.

Only 22 per cent of voters assessed Biden that way.

Biden, 81, ended his reelection effort aft a statement pinch Trump successful which he often stammered and grounded to aggressively situation attacks by Trump that included falsehoods.

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Some 80 per cent of Democratic voters said they viewed Biden favorably, compared to 91 per cent who said nan aforesaid of Harris. Three quarters of Democratic voters said they agreed pinch a connection that nan statement and voters should get down Harris now, pinch only a 4th saying aggregate candidates should compete for nan party’s nomination.

When voters successful nan study were shown a hypothetical ballot that included independent statesmanlike campaigner Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Harris led Trump 42 per cent to 38 per cent, an advantage extracurricular nan separator of error. Kennedy, favored by 8 per cent of voters successful nan poll, has yet to suffice for nan ballot successful galore states up of nan Nov. 5 election.

Harris campaigned successful nan captious battleground authorities of Wisconsin connected Tuesday. She won support from awesome statement figures and attraction has since turned to who she will prime arsenic her moving mate.

Many respondents successful nan Reuters/Ipsos canvass said they knew thing astir nan Democrats seen arsenic imaginable picks to subordinate Harris’ ticket.

About 1 successful 4 registered voters said they had ne'er heard of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a erstwhile Democratic statesmanlike campaigner who had nan highest favorability standing – 37 per cent – of nan imaginable Harris moving mates successful nan poll.

One successful 3 had not heard of California Governor Gavin Newsom, pinch astir nan aforesaid stock saying they looked connected him favorably. Half of registered voters successful nan canvass had ne'er heard of Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and 2 thirds knew thing of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.

The poll, which was conducted online, surveyed 1,241 U.S. adults nationwide, including 1,018 registered voters.

(Reporting by Jason Lange successful Yucaipa, California; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller)