A new CBS/YouGov poll released Wednesday shows former President Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris in Georgia by a narrow but crucial margin, 51 percent to 49 percent. This poll, surveying 1,441 registered voters, underscores Trump’s enduring appeal in the battleground state and highlights growing voter dissatisfaction with the direction of the country under the current administration.
CBS News poll finds tight race in Georgia, where Trump has 2-point edge over Harris https://t.co/DltI3ViiYW
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 25, 2024
While the two-point lead may appear slim, this is part of a larger trend, with other recent polls also placing Trump ahead of Harris in Georgia. The CBS/YouGov poll has a strong track record, having accurately predicted the 2020 race in Georgia, but a closer look at the data suggests that Trump’s lead might be even larger than reported.
Trump’s advantage with male voters is one of the most telling indicators of his strength. The poll shows that Trump leads men by an impressive 13 points (56 percent to 43 percent). In contrast, Harris holds a much smaller seven-point lead among women (53 percent to 46 percent). This significant gender gap reflects Harris’s long-standing struggles to connect with male voters—an issue that could be a decisive factor in the 2024 election. As some commentators have noted, Harris’s inability to win over men could be her campaign’s undoing.
On the economy, Trump continues to dominate. Voters trust Trump’s economic policies over Harris’s by a solid 14-point margin, a clear signal that Americans are dissatisfied with the current administration’s handling of inflation, jobs, and wages. In fact, 65 percent of respondents believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, with a majority citing economic concerns. The numbers don’t lie: 49 percent of voters say they would be better off financially with Trump as president, compared to just 35 percent who think the same of Harris.
The poll also highlighted the failure of “Bidenomics” to resonate with the American people. Seventy-nine percent of voters said their income is not keeping pace with inflation, and an overwhelming 71 percent reported that housing is either “somewhat” or “very” unaffordable. These results indicate that under the Biden-Harris administration, economic hardship has only deepened for many Americans. Trump, meanwhile, remains the candidate voters trust to turn the economy around.
Georgia’s hot-button issue of abortion was also a focus in the poll. Although 59 percent of voters support legal abortion in most or all cases, they are split evenly on whether the state’s six-week abortion ban is “too strict” or “about right/not strict enough.” Notably, 54 percent of voters said that pregnancy is either safer or unchanged since the law was enacted, debunking the Democrats’ scare tactics. Additionally, while 71 percent believe Harris will push for a national abortion law, only 34 percent think Trump will impose a nationwide ban, which may reassure voters who are concerned about federal overreach.
On gun control, despite the Democrats’ heavy investment in campaigning for stricter policies, the poll found that Trump and Harris are tied on the issue of reducing gun violence. This further demonstrates that voters are not buying into the Democrats’ narrative, with many viewing Trump as a stronger advocate for protecting Second Amendment rights.
Perhaps most striking, the poll found that 45 percent of Georgians believe Trump would strengthen democracy, compared to just 42 percent for Harris. This is a significant boost for Trump, especially in the wake of ongoing discussions about election integrity and government overreach. Despite media narratives, many Americans still see Trump as a defender of democratic principles, particularly when it comes to safeguarding individual freedoms.
As the 2024 election looms, Georgia remains a key battleground state. Trump’s narrow but steady lead over Harris reflects a broader trend of voters seeking a return to his leadership, particularly on economic and national security issues. With voters increasingly skeptical of the Biden-Harris administration, Trump’s path to victory in Georgia looks promising.
