Before Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race, Trump was gaining ground in a number of blue states. Maine, Virginia, New Hampshire, and even Minnesota were in or approaching toss-up territory. When Kamala replaced Biden on top of the ticket, the polls told us that these states were no longer in reach for Trump. However, that may be changing.
Recent polling shows that Virginia may still be in play, and Kamala is headed to New Hampshire this week, which may be a sign that her campaign is worried about the state. Now we're starting to see numbers that suggest that her selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz may be hurting her in his home state.
Kamala Harris’ bet on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has actually lost her ground in his home state.
That’s the takeaway from new polling of 635 likely voters from Minnesota’s KSTP, which found that the Democratic presidential nominee’s advantage over Donald Trump has been cut in half since she picked Walz as her running mate last month and showcased the ticket at the Democratic National Convention.
Harris now leads Trump 48% to 43%, a significant decline for her from the previous survey that showed her up 50% to 40% — the opposite of a post-convention bump that normally would have been expected.
This is particularly remarkable given that this was a poll that included more Democrats than Republican respondents — with Dems making up 40% of the sample, Republicans 35%, and independents the remainder.
But the hilarious part is that according to the poll data, Walz is the one who is likely causing her decline in the state.
Related: Is Kamala Worried About Losing Another Blue State?
"Only 52% of Minnesota voters see him as an excellent or good choice, with 12% saying he’s a fair selection, and a staggering 34% saying he’s a poor pick," reports the New York Post. "Walz is underwater with men, with 49% approving of his selection and 50% opposing it. About 40% of male respondents called him a poor choice of running mate."
Voters under the age of 35, a key demographic Harris needs in November, also aren’t enthusiastic: 49% called Walz an excellent or good pick; the other 51% regarded him unfavorably. These voters make up 25% of the anticipated November electorate.
Walz is also one percentage point underwater with parents, with 48% regarding him favorably and 49% panning the pick. Among people with children, 35% say he was a poor selection.
A dramatic urban/rural divide also appears on this question, with 38% of rural residents approving of the pick, compared to 59% of those in the suburbs and 61% of those in urban areas.
While 59% of Twin Cities residents rate the selection as excellent or good, only 48% of those in northeast Minnesota, 46% of those in western Minnesota, and 35% of those in southwestern Minnesota make the same claim.
Other recent polling has shown that picking Walz was a major mistake. According to a recent Wick Insights poll, Kamala would likely be comfortably ahead in Pennsylvania, a must-win state for her, had she picked Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate.
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