Harris shortens polling gap with Trump in Georgia, bringing new hope to Democrats in Sun Belt states

With less than 70 days to go before the November general elections, presidential candidates are mostly focusing on battleground states in their bids to take the White House. And as Vice President Kamala Harris takes the helm of the Democratic party, it seems she is giving her party newly found hope in some of these states that previously seemed out of reach, including Georgia.

The Peach State has been at the forefront of the presidential race since 2020, when President Joe Biden won the state by fewer than 12,000 votes over former President Donald Trump, becoming the first Democrat to carry the longtime GOP stronghold in nearly three decades.

However, President Biden had been bleeding support since, the same situation taking place in other battleground states throughout the campaign season. That is until he dropped out of the race and Harris stepped up to the ticket, injecting the party with much needed energy.

The most recent New York Times and Siena College poll showed Harris was significantly narrowing Trump's lead but still trailing 46% to the former president's 50%.

Similarly, an average of 15 polls from The Hill shows similar results, with the former President holding a lead of 49.2% compared to Harris' 46.5%.

The Vice President, however, is lead among different demographics. For instance, she is enjoying a 54% backing by Latino voters in these states, while also opening up a significant gender gap, taking the lead point lead over Trump among women in Georgia, something also happening in Arizona and Nevada, according to The New York Times.

Overall, Harris leads nonwhite voters in Georgia, Arizona and Nevada by 29 percentage points, a significant difference from Biden's lead of 17 percentage points in May.

These figures put Georgia, as well as other Sun Belt states like Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina, which were previously expected to go for Trump, back in play ahead of November, some experts say.

Harris' increased support in Georgia may be due to her being a better fit for that state's demographic, which has the highest proportion of Black voters of any presidential battleground, according to NBC News.

Georgia's electorate is also younger than those of most other presidential battlegrounds, a group that seems to be more receptive to the Vice President. The state also has a fast-growing Asian American population, which leans Democrat and has helped the party in close races.

Now, as the election approaches, both campaigns are bringing Georgia to the center stage as they seek to occupy the White House.

The Trump campaign is relying on Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to headline a fundraiser for the campaign in Atlanta on Thursday, despite the duo's previous complicated relationship.

Meanwhile, Harris and running-mate Gov. Tim Walz will take a bus tour through rural Georgia on Wednesday before a packed Labor Day schedule.