Kamala Harris' presidential candidacy has not only energized Democrats, but also given them an advantage among people who previously disliked the candidates of the two main parties, a new survey by a top pollster shows.
Concretely, a Monmouth University study saw a drop in the so-called double haters. Close to 20% of respondents held this view when Biden was running, but the figure dropped to 8% after Harris rose to the top of the ticket.
A June poll when Biden was still running showed that 54% of "double haters" didn't support any candidate, while 28% backed Biden and 19% supported Trump. Current figures show Harris with the support of over half of the Biden-Trump "double haters" (53%), while only 11% are supporting Trump and the remaining 35% is not backing any candidate.
"Taking Biden out of the mix and replacing him with Harris has significantly altered a key metric in this race. As we reported last month, Trump-Biden double haters want to shake things up, but they are wary of change that is too authoritarian. Harris appears to provide most of this group with the fresh outlook they desire," said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
The shift toward Harris can also be seen in the enthusiasm generated among Democrats. Enthusiasm for a potential Trump-Biden rematch had been on the rise but never exceeded 50%. However, the prospect of a Trump-Harris contest has increased enthusiasm to 68%, with a particularly dramatic rise among Democrats.
Concretely, this figure has jumped from 46% in June to 85% in August. Independents have also shown increased enthusiasm, rising from 34% to 53%. Republican enthusiasm for the Trump-Harris matchup remains at 71%, the same level it was for a Trump-Biden rematch in June.
Overall, Harris gets 48% of the support compared to Trump's 43%. At this point in the last election cycle, Biden held a nine-point lead over Trump among registered voters, with 51% to Trump's 42%, according to a national Monmouth Poll. The rest of the vote was divided among third-party candidates, including Libertarian Jo Jorgensen (2%), Green Party's Howie Hawkins (2%), and other candidates (1%), with 3% of voters still undecided.
Monmouth's poll also explored enthusiasm for each party's choice of nominee. Democratic voters are currently more enthusiastic about Harris (92%) than Republicans are about Trump (84%), highlighting the impact of the nominee swap on party morale.
Harris's candidacy has particularly bolstered Democratic support among younger voters, with 53% of voters aged 18 to 35 now supporting her, compared to only 33% for Biden two months ago. Harris has also maintained Biden-level support among older voters and has shown stronger support across various demographic groups, including Hispanic, Black, Asian voters, and white voters with a college degree.
Monmouth also explored potential support for independent and third-party candidates, although none have yet been officially certified in all 50 states, with independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. garnering 14% potential support. Other candidates like Cornel West and Jill Stein received less backing. The inclusion of these candidates in the mix appears to have an equal impact on both major party nominees, slightly reducing their support.
Confidence in the candidates' ability to perform the duties of the presidency remains a central issue. The poll found that 57% of voters are at least somewhat confident in Harris's mental and physical stamina for the presidency, compared to 47% for Trump. Harris also matches or slightly outperforms Trump on issues such as understanding voters' concerns, representing American values, and bringing about necessary change.
Trump and Harris are scheduled to debate on Sept. 10 on ABC News. It remains uncertain whether the debate will follow the same rules as the previous Trump-Biden debates, such as microphone controls and strict time limits.
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