A new poll finds Vice President Kamala Harris is the favorite of swing state voters to lead the Democratic Party should President Joe Biden drop out of the 2024 presidential election.
Harris received 45% of voters’ support, the highest of key Democratic figures, including Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) and Buttigieg polled next at 36%, followed by Newsom at 32%, Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) at 23%, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) at 21%.
The report comes as voters become increasingly disenchanted with a second Biden term, citing the 81-year-old’s age and frequent memory lapses as a top concern.
A McLaughlin & Associates survey in February reported that 82% of likely voters found Biden’s “state of health and his mental fitness” to be his biggest “weak point.”
Harris has ramped up appearances for the Biden campaign, trying to mobilize the Democratic base by molding her platform on what she views as a defining issue of the election: abortion.
In March, Harris became the first vice president in history to visit an abortion clinic during a Minnesota campaign appearance at Planned Parenthood. The reproductive services organization performs approximately 41% of abortions in the United States.
During an appearance at Central Connecticut State University last year, she referenced the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, saying that “the highest court in our land took a fundamental right from the people of America” and thus galvanized her “to stand and fight for these fundamental rights of freedom and liberty and dignity and choice.”
She added: “It is now incumbent on us, as the leaders of this moment, to pick up that movement and to do what is necessary to reaffirm, regain, and fight for those rights.”
The Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll could show gaps in her strategy. When asked how important issues were when deciding who to vote for, the poll found 52% of voters said abortion was very important, while the economy was the top area of concern at 83%. Crime followed at 61%, and immigration topped reproductive rights at 56%.
When asked what the single most important topic was when deciding how to vote, 35% of voters chose the economy. Immigration followed at 14%. Only 9% said abortion was the most important issue.
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Trump leads 49% to 42% in a hypothetical Trump-Harris matchup, while the former president beats Biden 48% to 44%.
In Wisconsin, the swing state where the election could be the closest, Trump holds a razor-thin edge over Biden. In a head-to-head matchup, Trump leads 47% to 46%.