Presidential Democratic contender Kamala Harris has moved into a virtual tie for first place with Joe Biden, according to NBC News.
Kamala Harris polled at 20% support in the latest Quinnipiac poll, not far behind front-runner Joe Biden at 22%. With a 5 percent margin of error, Biden’s lead is statistically erased.
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 554 Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters nationally. Senators Warren and Biden polled at 14% and 13% respectively. No other candidate got more than 4% in the poll.
This represents a large shift from the last Quinnipiac survey that was conducted before the debates, where Biden polled at 30%, Sanders 19%, Warren 15%, Buttigieg 8%, and Harris 7%.
Other polls don’t show a tie between Harris and Biden, but still show impressive gains for Harris, confirming that the senator’s stand-out debate performance—particularly her moment challenging Biden on his stance on bussing and segregation—was extremely effective.
A CNN national poll showed Biden at 22%, Harris at 17%, Warren 15%, and Sanders 14%, with a 3% margin of error. Nobody else polled above 4%. This represents a 10-point decline for Biden, a 9-point gain for Harris, and an 8-point gain for Warren.
A Suffolk University/USA Today poll of likely voters in Iowa showed Harris at 16%, trailing Biden at 24%, according to The New York Times.
Among Black voters, Harris saw her support jump from 11% in the June Quinnipiac poll to 27%, while Biden’s support shrank from 48% to 31%, according to CNN. In a further indication of Harris’ growing popularity among the African American community, Harris secured her seventh endorsement from a Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) member, according to reporting by The Hill. In an op-ed published by Essence, Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) on Wednesday endorsed Harris’ presidential bid.
Hayes called Senator Harris’ moment on the debate stage—where she recounted being part of the second class to be integrated in Berkeley—”a defining moment.”
“In that moment, I knew exactly what she was talking about—she was talking about access to opportunity that would otherwise change the trajectory of her life. That resonated with me. That was me,” Hayes wrote.
“Court-ordered desegregation was never just about making classrooms diverse—it was about access to resources for millions of children around the country who deserved a fair shot at opportunity…. Informed by her upbringing, Kamala has presented a policy agenda focused on increasing access for ALL Americans, lifting families up to ensure no child has to be told that something is not possible.”
In addition to a surge in polls and endorsements from CBC members, Harris reportedly raised $2 Million within 24 hours of the debate.
The Iowa Democratic caucuses are 7 months away, and there are at least 6 debates planned until then, according to US Presidential Election News. The next debate will be held on July 30 & 31 in Detroit Michigan.
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