The presidential race has shifted following Biden’s exit
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The 2024 election has been turned on its head in recent weeks with the attempted assassination of former President Trump, the decision by President Biden to step down from the race, and the elevation of VP Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
With 99 days until November 5 (Election Day), here’s how things currently stand:
The Harris campaign is kicking into high gear. In the week since Harris emerged as a 2024 candidate, her campaign has raised $200 million and signed up 170,000 new volunteers across the country. The Harris campaign says 66% of those donations came from first-time contributors to the 2024 election cycle.
Excitement is growing for both parties’ candidates. The percentage of Democrats who said they’re enthusiastic about their 2024 presidential candidate jumped from 37% on July 2, when Biden was still in the race, to 81% on July 25, after Harris had emerged as the presumptive nominee. Over that same period, the percentage of Republican voters enthusiastic with their candidate rose from 70% to 85%.
Polls show the race has tightened since Biden’s exit. Harris is currently performing better than Biden in a hypothetical matchup against Trump – though the former president still maintains a slight edge over Harris. New polls from the NYT/Siena College (Trump +1), WSJ (Trump +2), and CNN (Trump +3) are all closer than the 6-point lead Trump held in all three polls following the June 27 debate.
Looking ahead… Harris is expected to announce her running mate before August 7, when the Democratic Party plans to virtually nominate its ticket. Her short list reportedly includes three candidates: Senator Mark Kelly (AZ), Governor Josh Shapiro (PA), and Governor Tim Walz (MN).
📊 Flash poll: If the November election was held today, which candidate would you vote for?
See a 360° view of what media pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that both Kamala Harris and the US would be better served by a brief, contested nomination process that tested her skills as a presidential campaigner and sparked discussion about where Democratic leaders should take the party.
- Others contend that Harris should challenge Trump to a series of debates or town halls on subjects of national importance – such as the economy, foreign policy, health care, and immigration – as Americans would benefit from comparing the two candidates directly.
- “What Harris needs to do, now, to win” –WaPo Editorial Board
- “Americans Deserve More Debates and Transparency in This Election” –NY Times Editorial Board
- “Trump’s Campaign Against Harris Is Like Him: Old and Tired” –Nia-Malika Henderson, Bloomberg
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that Harris’ strong start to her campaign seems to have caught the GOP and Trump campaign by surprise, and America now has a presidential race that Donald Trump and the GOP could lose.
- Others contend that while Harris is the most unpopular vice president since polling began, voters still do not like the Republicans, meaning Harris has a chance to defeat Trump and Vance in November.
- “Kamala Harris Confounds the Republicans” –WSJ Editorial Board
- “Kamala Harris Could Actually Win” –Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review
- “With Biden out and Harris in, Trump needs to up his game—and stay cool” –NY Post Editorial Board
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