Vice President Harris and former President Trump are in a virtual stalemate in Virginia, which has emerged as a surprising battleground state in the 2024 presidential election.
A new poll conducted Friday found Harris had the support of 47% of Old Dominion voters, compared with Trump's 46%. University of Mary Washington.
The survey was conducted Sept. 3-9 by Research America for UMW's Center for Leadership and Media Studies and included a third-party candidate who received 4% of the vote.
In the head-to-head contest, Harris' lead widened slightly to 48-46.
Both results are within the margin of error, indicating a statistical tie.
“This new poll suggests that Virginia should be under closer scrutiny from both presidential campaigns,” said UMW political scientist Stephen J. Farnsworth. “Virginia may deserve to be treated as a 'battleground state' again this year.”
The news is unwelcome for the Harris campaign, which had expected to win Virginia.
President Biden won the state by 10 points in 2020, and Hillary Clinton won it in 2016.
Former President Obama won Virginia in both 2012 and 2008.
The latest poll supports other surveys that show Virginia is growing closer as the race nears the end of the election. Virginia has leaned more Republican in recent years, especially with the election of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2021. Most forecasters I continue to believe Harris will lose.
