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Pennsylvania poll shows Harris leading Trump by 1 point

By Sarah Fortinsky - 9/19/24, 9:27 AM EDT

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Vice President Harris and former President Trump are in a razor-thin race in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, according to a Washington Post poll released early Thursday.

Harris leads Trump by 1 point in the Keystone State, 48 percent to 47 percent, among registered voters and among likely voters.

One percent of respondents support Green Party candidate Jill Stein, and less than 0.5 percent support Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver. Three percent of respondents say they have no opinion or skip the question.  

Asked about the importance a variety of issues will be in determining which candidate to support, 90 percent of Pennsylvania voters say “protecting American democracy” is important, including 69 percent who say it’s “extremely important.”

The second-most important issue to Pennsylvania voters is “the economy,” with 89 percent saying it’s important, including 61 percent who say it’s extremely important.

Seventy-nine percent say “crime and safety” is important, including 52 percent who say it’s extremely important; 77 percent of voters say “health care” is important, including 45 percent who say it’s extremely important; 70 percent say “immigration” is important, including 48 percent who say it’s extremely important; and 62 percent say abortion is important, including 43 percent who say it’s extremely important.

Harris leads Trump on certain key issues, including abortion, 52 percent to 34 percent; health care, 48 percent to 40 percent; protecting American democracy, 48 percent to 45 percent; and “helping middle class workers,” 48 percent to 46 percent.

Trump, meanwhile, leads Harris on immigration, 52 percent to 39 percent; the economy, 51 percent to 42 percent; and crime and safety, 50 percent to 43 percent.

Harris is seen more favorably than Trump in the state, with 47 percent seeing her favorably and 44 percent seeing her unfavorably. Trump’s favorability rating is at 43 percent, while 49 percent see him unfavorably.

In a separate poll Thursday from The New York Times/Siena College/The Philadelphia Inquirer, Harris led in Pennsylvania by 4 points.

In The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s national polling average, Harris leads by 3.6 points, 49.7 percent to 46.1 percent. In Pennsylvania, Harris maintains a slim 1-point lead over Trump, 48.8 percent to 47.8 percent, according to the DDHQ average.

The poll was conducted Sept. 12-16 and included 1,003 registered voters in Pennsylvania, with a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.

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