Harris makes headway in gaining voter support in swing states

Republicans have long argued that a vote for Joe Biden this November is, given his age and apparent infirmity, is really a vote for Kamala Harris, should she remain on the Democratic ticket.

However, according to new polling, that suggestion may not be quite as beneficial for Republicans as once thought, as Harris appears to be making headway with voters in critical swing states, as the Boston Globe reports.

Harris tops Democratic competitors

A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult survey recently revealed that roughly half of the electorate in battleground states indicated that they would trust Harris to take the reins if Biden could no longer serve in office.

Notably, that represents the largest number of respondents expressing that sentiment since the question was first asked last fall.

Many believe that the reversal in Harris' fortunes is due to her outreach efforts toward minority voters and her advocacy for abortion rights.

As the Washington Examiner detailed, Harris' support topped that of other high-profile Democrats including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Changing minds

Harris' success in changing some minds in recent months can be seen in an example offered by comedian D.L. Hughley, who was formerly among her critics.

“I have to say that I'm sorry,” Hughley told Harris during a recent interview. “I had let a media narrative co-opt my perspective, and I think that tends to happen with women and people of color.”

He added that “some of the things that I have subsequently come to learn about you, not only make me proud of you, but make me be an advocate.”

Challenges remain

Despite the aforementioned progress, Harris still faces some serious challenges when it comes to overall electability.

Harris' push on abortion, for example, likely has limited applicability when only 52% of voters believe it to be a very important issue in the next election, whereas 83% named the economy as a critical topic – one on which Donald Trump tends to maintain a strong advantage.

When asked for the number-one issue when it comes to choosing a candidate this fall, 35% of respondents pointed to the economy, while just 9% named Harris' pet issue, abortion, perhaps rendering her admittedly impressive gains in swing state popularity somewhat irrelevant in the end.