A recent set of state polling data from the Wall Street Journal reveals a tight race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in six key states, with Trump holding a slight edge over Harris in Nevada. The polls show that when third-party candidates are included, there is no clear frontrunner among registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
In Nevada, Trump leads with 47% of registered voters compared to Harris' 42%. The margins remain similar in a head-to-head matchup between Harris and Trump in all states. The poll also indicates that Trump is favored over Harris when it comes to handling the economy, with 50% trusting him more in that regard.
A majority of registered voters in these states believe that inflation has worsened over the past year, although the percentage has decreased since March. Additionally, half of the respondents feel that their own finances have not improved. The economy and inflation are top concerns for 41% of voters, while 18% prioritize abortion as a key issue.
Despite the economy being a major concern, abortion is seen as a crucial litmus test for many voters. 28% of respondents feel so strongly about abortion that they would not vote for a candidate who disagrees with them. Harris leads Trump on trust to handle abortion, with 51% to 35% across the seven states.
The Wall Street Journal poll was conducted from September 28 to October 8 through telephone and online surveys, with 600 voters sampled in each of the states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The margin of sampling error for individual state results is +/- 4.0 percentage points, while for the combined data, it is +/- 1.5 percentage points.
