Kamala Harris has tightened the presidential race against Donald Trump in key battleground states that Joe Biden was on track to lose, new polls show.
The vice president is tied with Trump in Michigan and Pennsylvania, up by six per cent in Minnesota, and down by one per cent in Wisconsin.
Harris has erased the lead Trump was building in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin before Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday.
Voters said their top issue was the economy – by a big margin – with immigration and abortion about even as second and third, and other topics well below them.
The poll by Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research conducted on July 22 to 24 for Fox News added to other polls showing the race tightening.
Kamala Harris has tightened the presidential race against Donald Trump in key battleground states that Joe Biden was on track to lose, new polls show
Harris and Trump had 49 per cent of the vote each in Michigan and Pennsylvania, while Trump had 50 per cent to Harris’ 49 per cent in Wisconsin.
Minnesota, a usually blue state that was increasingly in play, is back to looking out of Trump’s reach as he has 46 per cent to Harris’ 52 per cent.
However, the races were head-to-head and did not take into account the effect of third-party candidates like independent Robert F Kennedy Jr.
When the additional candidates are included, Harris is up by two per cent (45 to 43) in Pennsylvania and six per cent in Minnesota (47 to 41).
Trump is ahead by two per cent in Michigan (45 to 43) and Wisconsin is tied at 46 per cent each.
Polls before Biden dropped out had the president down between two and nine per cent in Pennsylvania, one to seven in Michigan, and about three in Wisconsin.
The Fox News poll did not survey voters nationally, but others by the New York Times and a few more pollsters had Harris or Trump up by only one per cent.
Trump is up by one per cent in Wisconsin, but his leads in key states have been erased since Joe Biden dropped out and Kamala became his likely replacement
Harris must win Pennsylvania to have a chance of beating Trump, and likely needs Michigan and Wisconsin as well.
Losing Minnesota would be a shock and mean the Democrats were in danger of suffering a landslide defeat.
Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee since Biden abandoned his reelection campaign on Sunday, but will not be confirmed until the Democratic National Convention on August 19 to 22.
Twice as many voters said they cared more about the economy than any other issue, with immigration and abortion the other two key topics.
Thirty-seven per cent of Wisconsin voters had the economy on top, with 15 per cent each for immigration and abortion, and in Michigan it was 35 per cent economy, 17 per cent immigration, and 16 per cent abortion.
Economy was top issue for 39 per cent of Pennsylvanian voters with immigration at 16 per cent and abortion at 15 per cent.
Other notable issues included healthcare, election integrity, climate change, foreign policy, crime, and guns – but all were in the mid to low single digits.
Harris speaks on the phone with former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as the Obamas endorse Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate
Trump polls better among voters caring the most about the economy and immigration, and Harris is far better on abortion.
Economy and immigration voters in Pennsylvania back Trump by 31 and 86 points respectively, while abortion voters back Harris by 67 points. Answers for Michigan were roughly the same.
In Wisconsin, those prioritizing the economy and immigration backed Trump by 38 and 81 points respectively, while those putting abortion as their top issue prefer Harris by 78 points.
About as many voters said they were ‘falling behind’ or ‘holding steady’ financially, both in the low 40s, and about 15 per cent were ‘getting ahead’.
About three-quarters of Democrats want Harris to be the nominee with Biden gone, with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro the next most popular but only getting 14 per cent of his own state to favor him.
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Voters overwhelmingly approve of Biden’s decision to drop out and about two-thirds want him to remain president until his term ends in January
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer got 20 per cent in her home state, but her support was far lower elsewhere.
Voters overwhelmingly approve of Biden’s decision to drop out and about two-thirds want him to remain president until his term ends in January.
More than 90 per cent of Democrats agreed he was right to quit, and he should stay president until the election winner replaces him.
Harris has a significantly better favorability rating than Biden, and is ahead of Trump everywhere except Michigan where they are tied.
However, both candidates are still below 50 per cent favorability and more people judge Trump unfavorably than positively.
Harris has a positive net approval rate in Minnesota, negative in Michigan, and tied in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Trump’s running mate JD Vance has the lowest approval to disapproval rating of anyone polled in the battleground states.