Kamala Harris has a surprisingly narrow edge over Donald Trump in Virginia, which has been a stronghold for the Democrats in the past several presidential elections.
What Happened: A poll carried out by the University of Mary Washington from September 3-9 shows Harris leading Trump by a slim margin of 1 point among 756 likely voters in Virginia, with Harris polling at 47% and Trump at 46% with minor party candidates included. When pitted directly against each other, Harris’ lead extends to 2 points. Her lead is within the poll’s margin of error of +/- 4.1 percent.
Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, suggested that the tight race implies that Virginia could be considered a potential ‘swing state’ in the forthcoming election.
“This new survey suggests Virginia should be getting a much closer look from both presidential campaigns. Virginia may deserve to be treated as a ‘swing state’ once again this year,” Farnsworth told the outlet Newsweek.
Also Read: Trump Vs Harris: New Poll Reveals Post-Debate Swing Towards This Candidate In Key State
Despite Harris’ narrow lead in this poll, other state polls suggest that Harris could potentially outperform Trump by a solid 7 to 10-point margin, continuing the trend of Democratic victories in the state since 2004.
Prior to Harris becoming the candidate, some polls had shown Trump leading Biden by up to 5 points, while others showed Biden with a marginal lead of just 1 or 2 points.
Why It Matters: The close race in Virginia, a traditionally Democratic state, indicates a potential shift in the political landscape.
The fact that Harris, a Democrat, is only slightly ahead of Trump, a Republican, suggests that the state’s voters may be becoming more divided in their political preferences.
This could potentially turn Virginia into a ‘swing state’, where either party has a reasonable chance of winning, in future elections. This shift could have significant implications for the strategies of both parties in upcoming elections.
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