Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris held a slight lead over Republican rival Donald Trump following her official nomination by the party earlier in August, a Wall Street Journal poll showed on Thursday.
Harris held an approval of 48% to Trump’s 47%, and led by 47% to 45% in a ballot including independent and third-party candidates, the WSJ poll showed.
The poll was conducted between August 24 and 28- after the Democrats concluded their National Convention- and surveyed 1,500 registered voters with a margin for error of 2.5%.
The poll is the first time that Harris gained a lead over Trump in any WSJ survey dating back to April 2023, and marks a stark reversal from the publication’s July poll, which showed Trump holding a 2% lead.
Vice President Harris- who is campaigning on a platform of lower taxes for the middle class, improved social welfare and stronger reproductive rights- was seen steadily catching up with Trump in recent polls, after her endorsement as the Democratic nominee less than two months ago.
She was seen polling substantially better than President Joe Biden, whose approval had plummeted in the wake of a disastrous debate performance in June.
Presidential candidates tend to gain a boost in approvals after their official nominations by their respective parties, especially given the positive optics presented by the Democratic or Republican national conventions. It remains to be seen whether Harris can maintain this lead over Trump.
But both Harris and Trump are still polling largely neck and neck, heralding a tight presidential race with just over two months left to the ballot.
Trump was recently endorsed by independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr., who suspended his campaign in favor of the Republican nominee. The impact of this move is yet to be reflected in recent polls.
