Harris leads Trump in Michigan, Pennsylvania; trails in North Carolina: Surveys

Vice President Harris leads former President Trump in the battleground states of Michigan and Pennsylvania while she trails him in North Carolina, according to a new set of surveys released Thursday.

In the new polls, from UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion and YouGov, Harris is ahead of Trump by 4 points, 49 percent to 45 percent, among Michigan’s likely voters. Her gap is smaller in Pennsylvania where she is outpacing the former president by 1 point, 48 percent to 47 percent, with the state’s likely voters. Trump, on the other hand, is doing better in North Carolina, leading the Democratic nominee by 2 points, 47 percent to 45 percent, according to the survey. All leads were within the polls’ margin of error.

Michigan voters preferred Trump when it came to handling immigration, 50 percent to Harris’s 42 percent, while they chose the Democratic nominee on abortion, 57 percent to 32 percent, according to the Great Lakes State survey. Trump did 13 points better among Michigan’s independent voters, getting 44 percent to Harris’s 31 percent. Harris performed better among the younger electorate, aged 18-44, amassing 53 percent to Trump’s 38 percent. The former president had a 6-point lead, 52 percent to 46 percent among those over 65.

Similar to Michigan, voters in the Keystone State preferred Trump on immigration policy, 53 percent to 40 percent, although Harris led with the same margin on abortion, 51 percent to 38 percent, according to the poll. The former president had a 1-point lead among the state’s independent voters, getting 37 percent to Harris’s 36 percent. Harris had the upper hand among those aged 18-44, garnering 54 percent over Trump’s 41 percent. The Republican nominee did better than Harris with those over 65, getting 49 percent to 44 percent, according to the poll.

Trump was ahead, again, on the issues of economy, 49 percent to 41 percent, and immigration, 52 percent to 39 percent, among North Carolina’s likely voters. Harris bested the GOP nominee on abortion, 50 percent to 37 percent, among the Tar Heel State’s electorate. The vice president led by 10 points with the state’s independent voters, 35 percent to Trump’s 25 percent. She also did nearly 10-points better with those aged 18-44, 48 percent to 39 percent, according to the poll. Trump did better with those over 65, getting 55 percent to Harris’s 43 percent.

The new batch of polls comes shortly after a CNN North Carolina survey had Harris up by 1 point, 48 percent to 47 percent, in the state.

Harris is still ahead of Trump nationally by 0.7 percentage points, 48.2 percent to 47.5 percent, according to the latest The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s tally of polls.

The Michigan survey was conducted Oct.16- 24 among 600 likely voters. The margin of error was 4.49 percentage points. The Pennsylvania poll was conducted Oct. 16-23 among 800 state’s likely voters. The margin of error was 3.73 percentage points. The North Carolina survey was conducted Oct. 16-23 among 650 Tar Heel State residents. The margin of error was 4.2 percentage points.