Vice President Kamala Harris has pulled ahead in the latest New York Times/Siena College poll, the first time she’s done so since President Joe Biden stepped down as the Democratic nominee in July.
Harris leads GOP nominee Donald Trump 49-46 in the poll, with more voters (46%) saying the vice president represents "change" for the country compared to Trump (43%). Among non-white voters, 61% said Harris is the "change" candidate, compared to just 29% who said the same of Trump.
In a previous New York Times/Siena College poll conducted in mid-September, Harris and Trump were tied at 47-47. The Democratic nominee has since made gains with Republican voters, a strategy her campaign has been pushing for months. In the latest poll, 9% of Republicans said they would vote for Harris, a 4 point increase from last month.
With just four weeks left until November’s election, both candidates have focused their campaign efforts on critical battleground states.
On Saturday, Trump held a rally in Butler, Pa., where he previously survived an assassination attempt. Harris, meanwhile, visited North Carolina, another crucial battleground state, to survey damage from Hurricane Helene. She is also increasing her media appearances.
On Sunday, the vice president was interviewed on the popular podcast, “Call Her Daddy,” which is the top podcast among women, according to Spotify. She will also appear on Howard Stern’s radio show and “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert.
“Harris has to make strategic decisions about every second of her time these last few weeks. You just can’t capture undecided voters by sticking with the traditional press. So by necessity, you have to spend time in other places,” a Democratic strategist told Politico.
The Harris campaign has also leaned into attracting young voters online by sharing videos of the 59-year-old dancing, laughing and playing on memes.
Though Trump and his allies have endlessly made fun of her laugh and smile, 43% of voters said Harris is “more fun” than Trump, according to the Times/Siena suvey. She was also seen as more trustworthy and honest.
