Kamala Harris’ Chances of Beating Donald Trump in Michigan: Poll

With just weeks to go until voters cast their vote for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, a new poll lays bare just how tight the presidential race has become.
A poll conducted in the key battleground state of Michigan by Suffolk University for USA Today put Democrat Harris slightly ahead with 48 percent saying they’d back her, compared to 45 percent for Republican Trump. However, the amount of undecided voters suggests that it’s all still to play for in terms of winning the White House.
The clock is ticking down to polling day, which is due to be held on November 5, and surveys on voter intentions have painted a confusing picture so far. Trump appears to be performing well, even in typically Democratic states, such as New York. However, most polls suggest that it is Harris who has a narrow lead in the race. Other polls suggest the race is simply too close to call in some states, with a recent survey putting both Harris and Trump at 49 percent support as they tied in Pennsylvania.
This year’s presidential campaign has been one of the most dramatic in history.
Ailing President Joe Biden was forced to stand aside amid fears for his health and cognitive abilities during the grueling campaign trail, which left Vice President Harris at the top of the Democrat ticket. Then Trump was injured during an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally in July, with another apparent attempt on his life in Florida this month on September 15.
The fight has been relatively dirty too, with Trump criticized even by fellow Republicans, who warned him that directing personal attacks against Harris instead of focusing on policy issues may result in him losing the election. Nevertheless, he has continued to deride her intelligence and her looks, while running-mate JD Vance famously dismissed the stepmother as a “childless cat lady.” Giving almost as good as they got, Harris’ own running-mate Tim Walz went viral after mocking Trump and Vance and dismissing them both as “weird.”
It is against this feverish backdrop that polls are being conducted.
The latest USA Today voter survey took place between September 16 and September 19, although the results were only published on Tuesday. The survey quizzed 500 likely voters in Michigan, where eight candidates’ names will appear on the ballot. Michigan is considered an important swing state by both sides and the poll had a 4.4 percent margin of error, the newspaper said.
Some 48 percent of those polled backed Harris, while 45 percent backed Trump. A further 1 percent supported independent Robert F. Kennedy, even though he has suspended his campaign and backed Trump. The other candidates polled around 1 percent between them, while a further 4 percent of voters are still undecided. (The percentages do not quite add up to the full 100 as the results for each candidate were rounded to the nearest number.)
Michigan is also home to Kent County, which is known as a bellwether area—where results typically speak for the whole country. (Trump defeated Hillary Clinton there in 2016 and Biden beat Trump there in 2020.) In Kent County, Harris is also narrowly beating Trump at present, with 48 percent versus his 45 percent support, USA Today reported.
Newsweek has reached out by email to representatives for both Trump and Harris seeking their comments on the poll.