'Obvious enthusiasm': Harris now cutting into Trump’s lead with core segment of his base

10 August 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris isn't just galvanizing Democratic constituencies with her late entry into the 2024 race: She's also getting favorably viewed by one of the biggest Republican voting blocs.

According to a recent Newsweek report, the vice president is gaining ground with white male voters — who have long been one of the GOP's most reliable sources of support. Newsweek cited the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll of 1,613 national voters conducted between August 1 and August 4, which found that Harris had the support of 46% of white men surveyed. Trump, in the meantime, had 51% support.

Harris' approval among that bloc is already more than President Joe Biden had in 2020, in which he secured a victory despite only getting 43% support from white male voters according to Pew Research. Newsweek also noted that Harris previously had the approval of just 40% of white men shortly after Biden left the race in late July, suggesting that the core GOP constituency is warming to her as excitement continues to build for Harris' nascent campaign.

"Harris is outperforming Biden nationally against Trump, and the boost is apparent across the board among most subgroups of voters including whites," Northeastern University political science professor Costas Panagopoulos told Newsweek. "This is a testament to excitement for Harris among white voters but also reservations about Trump. It's likely a combination of Harris strengths and Trump weaknesses."

The vice president gaining ground with white men is even more notable given that out of all subgroups of white voters, men are typically the most reliable pillar of support for the Republican Party. According to an April report from Pew, roughly 60% of registered white male voters identify as Republicans, compared to just 53% of white women. That percentage of white men who lean Republican has remained roughly the same since 1994.

Syracuse University political science professor Grant Davis Reeher attributed Harris' gains with the white male demographic to her activating "white left voters for her candidacy."

"[White male support for Harris is] also due to the general enthusiasm for her campaign, and some of this is probably due to the obvious enthusiasm that the media is showing for her run," Reeher told Newsweek. "The Trump campaign's missteps in focusing on Harris' personal character and belittling her campaign are also helping the Democrats."

The Democratic ticket is also making gains with women — even in strong Republican states. Before Biden even exited the race, one poll found that women voters in Florida, which is former President Donald Trump's adopted home state, were trending toward Democrats.

This may be due to voters in the Sunshine State voting on an abortion-related ballot question this November. Since the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortion hasn't lost once on any ballot. This includes Republican strongholds like Kansas, Kentucky and Montana. With 30 electoral votes up for grabs in Florida, Harris could afford to lose other major swing states like Pennsylvania if Democrats win there.

Click here to read Newsweek's report in full.

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