Former President Donald Trump, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris debate on Sept. 10, 2024.
Philadelphia Tribune Staff Writer
Two major polls show Vice President Kamala Harris added to her lead over former President Donald Trump among nationwide voters, following Tuesday’s presidential debate in Philadelphia, where she was declared the consensus winner.
A poll of 1,405 registered voters by Ipsos saw Harris leading Trump 47% to 42%, extending her lead of four points before the debate to five. Morning Consult also finds her up five points, 50% to 45%, in a survey of 3,317 likely voters, increasing her lead from three points before Tuesday’s televised event at the Constitution Center on Independence Mall. Both were conducted in the days immediately following the debate.
The strong performance in Tuesday’s debate gave the vice president a boost in polling, where voters saw her perform much better than President Joe Biden when he faced off with Donald Trump in June in Atlanta.
Fifty three percent of Ipsos voters agreed that Harris won the debate, while 52 said Trump “stumbled and didn’t appear sharp.” Harris was able to stay on the offensive during the debate, creating a contrast in visions for the future between herself and her opponent, while Trump failed to land most of his attacks on the vice president and her record. That earned her a majority of support among Ipsos respondents for “appeared more dignified” and “gave the impression of having more moral integrity.”
“What’s clearer is that Harris’ debate performance will help her sustain that momentum, keeping her in the driver’s seat of a close contest that is very likely to be decided by tens of thousands of voters in a few key swing states,” Morning Consult said in their report. Morning Consult’s polling also found Harris leading Trump 46% to 40% among independent voters.
Harris’ performance also resonated with Black organizations, who are becoming increasingly important in engaging previously unmotivated voters in cities like Philadelphia. The group Black Voters Matter released a statement on Wednesday, following the debate, pointing out the stark differences between the two candidates.
AP Photo/ Alex Brandon
While national numbers are important, most analysts see this election, like the last two, coming down to a few key states on the Electoral College map, including Pennsylvania. No new numbers are available as this article went to print, and most surveys before the election show the Keystone State within the margin of error. However, Morning Consult has Harris leading 49% to 46% in Pennsylvania, along with Michigan and Wisconsin.
“Based on what we’re seeing at the national level, we expect her to maintain those advantages in the aftermath of the debate,” their report concluded.
Tuesday will likely be the last time the two candidates appear together before Election Day. Trump, claiming the ABC News moderators were unfair and other grievances, told supporters at a rally Thursday that he will not participate in any additional presidential debates. This would make this the first instance since the Commission on Presidential Debates formed in 1960 and oversaw these events that the two candidates on the general election ballot only met once. Candidates did not debate at all in 1964, 1968, or 1972.
“I’m not surprised by her execution of a debate strategy at all,” California’s Sen. Laphonza Butler told reporters after the debate Tuesday night. “She wanted to make sure who she was talking to and who she was working for, making sure that people understood what the former president’s positions in the past have been as well. I’m also not surprised that he took the bait.”
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