Former President Donald Trump holds a 3-point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in the latest statewide poll conducted in North Carolina.
The poll, conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies and sponsored by The Telegraph, shows Trump leading Harris 44% to 41% among 714 likely voters surveyed between July 31 and August 3. The survey is significant for both parties, given North Carolina’s status as a battleground state that has leaned Republican in 12 of the last 14 elections dating back to Lyndon B. Johnson’s win in 1964.
Raleigh, a key rallying point, was notably the first location visited by President Joe Biden after his contentious June 27 debate with Trump. Biden, who abandoned his reelection bid on July 21, endorsed Harris as his successor. No other Democratic candidates emerged, leading to Harris being confirmed as the party’s nominee through a virtual roll call ahead of the August 19-22 Democratic National Convention.
Harris’s scheduled rally this week has been rescheduled due to the impact of Hurricane Debby, which has prompted a state of emergency declaration by Governor Roy Cooper, with flooding expected.
In addition to North Carolina, Trump is leading Harris in several other battleground states: Pennsylvania (46%-44%), Georgia (46%-44%), and Michigan (42%-41%). Harris holds a slim lead in Minnesota (46%-41%), where she had not yet named Minnesota Governor Tim Walz her running mate at the polling time. The race is very tight in Arizona (Harris 44%-Trump 43%), Nevada (40% each), and Wisconsin (43% each).
The poll also asked respondents about critical issues influencing their voting decisions. The economy was identified as the most crucial factor by 38% of those surveyed, significantly outpacing other concerns such as abortion (15%), immigration (9%), and health care (7%). Issues like the environment (4%) and various other topics received minimal support.
North Carolina’s 16 electoral college votes, along with those from Pennsylvania (19), Georgia (16), Michigan (15), Arizona (11), Wisconsin (10), and Nevada (6), represent a total of 93 key votes in the upcoming election.
