Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are in a deadlock in the state of Pennsylvania, a virtual must-win state for both candidates, according to a new poll.
A Thursday poll from the Washington Post had Harris at 48% support among likely and registered voters, while Trump sits at 47%.
A New York Times poll gave Harris a slight edge, however, with Harris sitting at 50% compared to Trump’s 46%. Nationally, however, the Times’ poll had Harris and Trump tied at 47%.
Both polls were conducted after last week’s presidential debate, in which most debate watchers said Harris came out on top.
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Nevertheless, the Times says the debate does not appear to have had a major impact on voters, regardless of who they supported beforehand.
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“Despite a strong debate performance, Vice President Harris did not gain much ground compared with our last polls of the nation and Pennsylvania. The poll is full of evidence that our respondents thought she did well in the debate — and that Mr. Trump did poorly — but it hasn’t made a big difference,” the paper wrote.
The Times’ national poll mirrored the findings of a Fox News national survey released Wednesday. It found Harris slightly leading Trump 50%-48%. It was a three-point change since mid-August, when Trump led Harris by one point.
The Post’s poll found that Trump maintains his lead in Pennsylvania when it comes to the top two issues of the election, the economy and immigration. Harris has also maintained her lead on the issues of defending democracy and abortion.
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Another Marist poll released Thursday found Trump and Harris tied at 49% in Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania is attracting the most attention of the Rust Belt states from the presidential candidates and with good reason,” said Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. “It’s the biggest prize in the region and the most competitive. Winning Pennsylvania doesn’t guarantee the White House, but it goes a long way.”
The close polls come as Trump seems to be losing his edge in two critical states, according to the most recent Fox News Power Rankings. Both North Carolina and Georgia, which were once considered Republican strongholds, are now rated toss-ups in the presidential race.
Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report
