A new poll reveals that Vice President Kamala Harris is the top choice among swing state voters to lead the Democratic Party if President Joe Biden opts out of the 2024 presidential election.
Harris garnered 45% support from voters, surpassing notable Democratic figures such as Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) and Buttigieg followed with 36%, Newsom with 32%, Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) with 23%, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) with 21%.
This report emerges amid growing voter disenchantment with a potential second term for Biden, highlighting concerns about the 81-year-old’s age and frequent memory lapses.
A McLaughlin & Associates survey in February indicated that 82% of likely voters identified Biden’s “state of health and his mental fitness” as his primary “weak point.”
Harris has been increasing her campaign appearances, aiming to mobilize the Democratic base by emphasizing what she perceives as the election’s defining issue: abortion.
Harris made history in March as the first vice president to visit an abortion clinic during her Minnesota campaign stop at Planned Parenthood. This organization is responsible for approximately 41% of abortions in the U.S.
During a visit to Central Connecticut State University last year, Harris referenced the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, stating that “the highest court in our land took a fundamental right from the people of America” and prompting her “to stand and fight for these fundamental rights of freedom and liberty and dignity and choice.”
She emphasized: “It is now incumbent on us, as the leaders of this moment, to pick up that movement and to do what is necessary to reaffirm, regain, and fight for those rights.”
The Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll may indicate gaps in her strategy. When asked about the importance of various issues when deciding who to vote for, 52% of voters noted abortion was very important. However, the economy topped the list at 83%, followed by crime at 61%, and immigration, which surpassed reproductive rights, at 56%.
Regarding the single most important topic when deciding how to vote, 35% of voters chose the economy, followed by immigration at 14%. Only 9% deemed abortion the most important issue.
In a hypothetical Trump-Harris matchup, Trump leads 49% to 42%, while Biden trails Trump 48% to 44%.
In Wisconsin, a crucial swing state, Trump holds a narrow lead over Biden. In a direct matchup, Trump is ahead 47% to 46%.
