A new poll shows Democrats gaining momentum in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, three states crucial to Kamala Harris's hopes of reaching the White House.
A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday showed the vice president's approval rating increasing in all three key “blue wall” states.
In Michigan, Ms. Harris leads former President Donald Trump 50% to 45% among 905 voters surveyed, while Green Party candidate Jill Stein picked up 2% of the vote, bettering Ms. Harris' average 0.7% lead in polls in the state, which has 15 electoral votes.
If that figure holds, the vice president would surpass Biden, who won the Wolverine State in 2020 by about 150,000 votes.
Harris holds a slight lead among Michigan independents (47% to 44%) and has near-unilateral support from Democrats (98% support her, while 94% of registered Republicans support Trump).
In Pennsylvania, which has 19 electoral votes, Harris is in her strongest position in any poll this election cycle.
There, she leads 51% to 45% among 1,334 voters surveyed, with Stein and the Libertarians Chase Oliver Each will have a 1% discount.
A 48% to 43% lead among independents also helps, as does party loyalty, with 95% of Democrats expressing their support for the vice president. Trump has the approval of 91% of Republicans.
Ms. Harris' lead in Pennsylvania polls has averaged 0.6 percentage points, suggesting the survey may be an outlier. Precedent suggests so: Former Vice President Joe Biden won the Keystone State by about 80,000 votes in the last election.
And in Wisconsin, where 10 electoral votes are at stake, Harris is leading Trump 48% to 47% among 1,075 voters, with the Libertarian candidate winning 1%. Oliver's lead is the same as Harris' average lead in Wisconsin, which is 1.2%.
There are two reasons for the narrowing of the gap here: First, Trump and Harris are tied among independents, at 46% each.
Compared to the other two Democratic-leaning states, the former president has stronger party support than the current vice president in the Dairy State, with 95% of Republicans backing Trump and 94% of Democrats backing Harris.
On issues, voters in the three battleground districts rate Trump most favorably on the economy and immigration, while abortion, preserving democracy and crisis management are stronger issues for Harris.
The survey also looked at lower-ranking districts where Republicans must make gains.
In the race for Michigan's Senate seat, Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin is leading former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, 51% to 46%.
In Wisconsin, incumbent Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin is leading Republican opponent Eric Hovde, 51% to 47%.
Polls suggest that the Election Day results won't tell the whole story: A majority of voters on Election Day say they will vote for Trump, but absentee ballots make Harris look more likely to win.
