Donald Trump pulls ahead of Kamala Harris in two major polls | FortuneHomeNewsTechFinanceLeadershipWellEducationFortune 500Home PageAlready have an account?SIGN INSEARCHSubscribe NowSectionsFORTUNE 500NewsEuropeAsiaTechAIFinancePersonal FinanceReal EstateCryptoLeadershipSuccessWellLifeHealthMindFamilyAging WellEducationTop Business SchoolsTop Information Technology and Data SchoolsTop Health SchoolsVideoRankingsFORTUNE 500GLOBAL 500MOST POWERFUL WOMENGREAT PLACE TO WORK LISTSBEST MBA PROGRAMSMORE RANKINGSFortune Company ListAnalyticsNewslettersMagazineFebruary/March 2025December 2024/January 2025October/November 2024August/September 2024June/July 2024April/May 2024Live MediaCEO InitiativePolitics·U.S. Presidential Election2 major polls show Donald Trump gaining slight edge over Kamala Harris in election raceBYEleanor PringleTrump is pulling ahead of Harris, according to a number of polls released in the past 24 hours. Kevin Dietsch—Getty ImagesRankings100 Best CompaniesFortune 500Global 500Fortune 500 EuropeMost Powerful WomenFuture 50World’s Most Admired CompaniesSee All RankingsSectionsFinanceLeadershipSuccessTechAsiaEuropeEnvironmentFortune CryptoHealthWellRetailLifestylePoliticsNewslettersMagazineFeaturesCommentaryMPWCEO InitiativeConferencesPersonal FinanceEducationCustomer SupportFrequently Asked QuestionsCustomer Service PortalPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseSingle Issues for PurchaseInternational PrintCommercial ServicesFortune Brand StudioFortune AnalyticsFortune ConferencesAdvertisingBusiness DevelopmentAbout UsAbout UsEditorial CalendarPress CenterWork at FortuneDiversity and InclusionTerms and ConditionsSite Map© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
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With less than two weeks until Election Day, polls show a tight race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris for the White House.

Two major polls released in the last 24 hours suggest former President Trump is leading, with The Wall Street Journal reporting a 2% advantage over Harris. This marks a shift from August, when Harris led by 2%.

The respondents are viewing the former Attorney General increasingly unfavorably: In August, less than half of voters—49%—viewed her unfavorably; by October, that had risen to 53%.

By comparison, the Trump camp has seen its fortunes swing the opposite way: Unfavorable views of Trump are down 3% from August to October, to 50% at the time of writing.

Another problem facing the Harris campaign is that voters’ views of her performance are still fresh.


In a national survey of 1,500 voters, 47% said they would vote for Trump, while 45% favored Harris. However, the results are within the margin of error, leaving the race too close to call.

Is Harris fading?

Digging deeper into the data, it appears Harris’s initial star power is fading.

Under the Biden administration, consumers suffered high inflation rates and tight Fed fund rates, squeezing their disposable income.

As a result, voters’ criticism of Harris’s performance is still fresh. According to the Journal’s survey, 42% of respondents approved of Harris’s performance as Vice President versus 54% who disapproved.

Conversely—and with four years to smooth the recollection—perceptions of Trump’s presidency are only improving.

A total of 52% of respondents say they approved of the former president’s years in office, versus 48% who disapprove.

Likewise, a poll from the Financial Times and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business indicates that the Democratic camp has yet to convince voters that they’re better off now than they were four years ago.

In a survey released this morning, 44% of voters said they would trust Trump with the economy, while 43% said they would trust Harris.

While the general consensus on the economy is still a hotly contested topic, Trump also has a significant advantage over Harris regarding how much better households would be doing financially under each administration.

While 45% of voters in the swing states thought they’d be financially better under Trump, just 37% said they would prosper more under Harris—a blow to the candidate whose key pledge has been lifting up the middle classes.

That being said, the poll of 1,007 registered voters does have a wide margin of error—3.1 percentage points either way—meaning the closer aspects of the race may still be up in the air.

A dead heat in another major poll

Bloomberg is still polling the candidates as neck and neck.

A survey released last night found that Harris still has a marginal gain in key swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan.

Harris is leading by a minute percent in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania, while Trump is slightly ahead in Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

Overall, Harris leads the poll of more than 5,300 registered voters in swing states by 49.1% to 48.5%.

Voters were also divided on which candidate they believed would be better for their purse strings.

On taxes, the rivals were equal, with 46% of the voters saying the respective candidate had better policies.

On healthcare and housing costs, Harris polled significantly better than the Republican nominee: 51% to 42% and 48% to 43%, respectively.

Meanwhile, Trump leads on interest rates, gas prices, and the cost of everyday goods by similarly healthy margins: 47% to 42%, 50% to 41%, and 46% to 48%, respectively.