A new poll reveals Democrats’ opinions on Harris as a potential president. The findings offer insights into her support within the party.
As the Democratic Party continues to grapple with President Biden’s uncertain future, a new poll suggests that a majority of Democrats believe Vice President Kamala Harris would be a capable successor.
The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found that “approximately six in 10 Democrats think Harris would do a good job as president, while two in 10 disagree, and another two in 10 remain undecided.”
The poll’s results come as Democratic officials increasingly urge Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election following his disappointing debate performance on June 27. Many worry that voters doubt the 81-year-old president’s ability to perform his duties, and some suggest that Harris or another candidate would fare better against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Recent polls indicate that Democratic voters are souring on Biden, with a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll finding that 64% of likely Democratic or Democratic-leaning voters in Massachusetts want someone other than Biden to face off against Trump. Similarly, the AP-NORC national survey revealed that 65% of Democrats believe Biden should drop out of the race.
Despite this, Harris has maintained strong public support for Biden, defending him from criticism and distancing herself from discussions about a potential “Plan B” ticket. However, if Harris were to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee, the poll suggests that Democratic voters would largely be pleased with the younger candidate.
About three-quarters of Democrats have a positive view of Harris, which is in line with how Democrats view Biden. Seven in 10 have a favorable view of him.
Harris, 59, is a woman of color who could champion the party’s message on abortion rights and voting rights, and her experience as a former state attorney general could help prosecute the Democratic Party’s case against Trump. The poll found that women and Black adults are more likely than Americans overall to believe Harris would do well as president.
However, Americans outside the Democratic Party are more skeptical of Harris’ potential presidency, with only about three in 10 saying she would do a good job. Nearly half believe she would not do well, and two in 10 are undecided.
The poll also revealed that Harris’ favorability rating is similar to Biden’s, but with a lower share of Americans holding an unfavorable opinion of her. About four in 10 U.S. adults have a favorable opinion of Harris, while about half have an unfavorable opinion. In contrast, approximately six in 10 have a negative view of Biden.
Among Democrats, Harris is viewed positively by about three-quarters, similar to Biden’s rating. However, Harris is better-known among Democrats than other potential candidates, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom or Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. About one-third of Democrats believe Newsom would make a good president, while half are undecided. Approximately one-quarter think Whitmer would do well, with about two-thirds unsure.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,253 adults was conducted July 11-15, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
