Kamala Harris Could Beat Trump in Popular Vote if Election Happened Today, Poll Says

Kamala Harris, the former Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate, may have a chance to win over Donald Trump in the popular vote if elections were held today. A new poll by Strength In Numbers/Verasight shows she’s ahead by five points, giving fresh energy to talks of her possible run in 2028.

Harris Leads in New Hypothetical Poll

According to the poll, taken from May 1 to 6 with 1,000 adult participants, 47% of voters would support Harris while 42% would vote for Trump. When counting people who said they wouldn’t vote at all, Harris still led with 40%, compared to Trump’s 36%. The margin of error is 3.2%.

Interestingly, Harris performed better among people who didn’t vote in the 2024 election. Among them, 36% said they would now vote for her, while only 22% would vote for Trump.

Trump’s Popularity Drops, Especially on the Economy

Trump’s image has taken a hit recently. His economic decisions, especially his “Liberation Day” tariffs announced in April, caused big market problems. The Dow Jones dropped sharply, and many voters now say they don’t trust Trump on financial matters.

In the same Verasight poll:

• 58% of people disapprove of Trump’s economic performance.
• 63% disapprove of how he’s handling inflation and prices.

Overall, 56% of people feel Trump’s policies have hurt the economy, and only 22% think they’ve helped.

Immigration and Deportation Policies Under Fire

Trump’s once-strong support on immigration is slipping too. His deportation policies, including the controversial removal of a Maryland man named Kilmar Abrego Garcia, are drawing public criticism.

After people were told about Garcia’s case:

• Only 39% supported deporting all undocumented immigrants.
• 49% opposed deporting those with legal protection, like Garcia.

Many now believe wrongly deported people should be helped to return.

Will Kamala Harris Run in 2028?

Though she hasn’t confirmed it yet, Harris is seen as the top choice for the 2028 Democratic nomination. According to Race to the WH:

• Harris leads with an average of 27.2% support.
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is second with 15.9%.
• Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker, and Gavin Newsom follow behind.

However, not all polls agree. A few recent surveys show other candidates like Buttigieg and Ocasio-Cortez slowly gaining support, though Harris still holds the lead overall.

What Democrats Are Saying

Democratic leaders have mixed views. Some, like Senator John Hickenlooper and Senator Martin Heinrich, believe Harris brings an important voice to the conversation. They expect the Democratic Party to explore various options and values before choosing a final candidate for 2028.

Summary Table