Ever since presumed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced that Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris would be his running mate, there has been a lot of talk around whether or not Harris was the right pick to get Biden into the White House. In new polls released this week, both political parties show Harris as the more favorable candidate in unexpected demographics, including among young Republican voters, women, and younger Americans in general.
In a new opinion poll conducted by ABC News and the Washington Post, 1 in 4 Republicans between the ages of 25-55 have a favorable opinion of Harris and approved of the pick. The poll shows that 34% of Americans in both parties approved of her selection with 22% disapproving. Seventy-eight percent of Black and 65% of Hispanic voters approved of Biden’s choice of having Harris as his running mate in comparison to 46% of White voters who approved with the decision. This means that Biden currently leads Trump by a margin of 50% compared to 41%.
“Apart from Republicans, disapproval of Harris’ selection is highest among conservatives (especially “very” conservative people), white evangelicals, rural residents and non-college-educated white men, all core Trump support groups,” wrote Gary Langer of Langer Research Associates in his report. “Beyond Democrats and Black people, approval peaks among liberals, Northeasterners, those with postgraduate degrees and urban residents.”
In another opinion survey conducted by Reuters and Ipsos earlier this month, picking Harris may help him appeal to more women and younger voters under the age of 30. The data showed that 60% of women viewed Harris as a favorable candidate compared to 53% of women that view Biden favorably as a candidate in addition to 46% of adults in the country saying that they planned on voting for Biden and Harris in the upcoming November elections with 38% stating that their vote will go to Trump and Pence.
