New poll: Harris has overtaken Trump in voters’ biggest concern

Kamala Harris has a slight edge ahead of Donald Trump on an issue that’s consistently ranked at the top of voters’ minds: the economy.

According to a new Echelon Insights National Poll, Harris pulled ahead of Trump 47%-45% on who people said would definitely or probably do a better job with the economy and jobs, and Harris was ahead 48%-45% among those who responded she’s do better at tackling inflation and the cost of living.

Also Harris +7 overall, so they're finding a rosier picture for her in general than others. It's a well-established GOP pollster. https://t.co/b6MWUD2JTl — Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) September 26, 2024

In a separate poll from earlier in the month, about 4 in 10 registered voters say Trump would do a better job handling the economy, while a similar number say that about Harris, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About 1 in 10 voters don’t trust either candidate, and a similar share has equal faith in them.

The finding is a warning sign for Trump, who has tried to link Harris to Joe Biden’s economic track record.

The polls suggest that Harris may be escaping some of the president’s baggage on the issue, undercutting what was previously one of Trump’s major advantages.

The economy has long been a weak issue for Biden: A separate AP-NORC poll conducted in late June, before Biden’s disastrous debate with Trump, found that about 6 in 10 Americans disapproved of his handling of the economy. Earlier this year, Americans were much more likely to say that Trump’s presidency helped the country on cost of living and job creation, compared to Biden’s.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Matt Arco may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.