Kamala Harris 'within striking distance' of Trump in his home state, according to newest poll

A day after news came out that registered Republicans in the state of Florida outnumber Democrats by 1 million, it appears that the state is still up for grabs this election cycle according to the newest survey conducted by USA TODAY/Suffolk University/WSVN-TV.

The poll revealed that while Republican candidate Donald Trump is still in the lead with 47% of the support among likely voters in Florida, Harris is now within five percentage points, a scenario that seemed out of the question just a few weeks ago when Joe Biden was still in the running. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received 5% support, with 5% of respondents undecided or not disclosing their choice.

This narrower gap contrasts sharply with the 19-point margin by which Florida Governor Ron DeSantis won his 2022 re-election and is closer than other recent polls. Florida, once a key battleground state, has seen its status as a swing state diminish after Trump won by 3.3 percentage points in 2020.

David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, expressed surprise at the close margin to USA Today, considering the state's current political landscape. "What was an easy drive through the Sunshine State is drive with caution," he said, adding that Harris is "still the underdog, but she's a little bit closer than people might expect."

Harris, who took over the Democratic ticket after President Biden dropped out last month, is viewed slightly more favorably than Biden in Florida, with 44% of voters holding a favorable opinion of her compared to Biden's 39%. Just last week it was revealed that she's leading Trump in Miami-Dade county by double digits, a clear sign that she has energized the Democratic base.

"In a bad sign for the GOP nominee, Harris' Florida voters are matching the former Republican president's supporters in enthusiasm, with 89% of each group saying they are very or somewhat excited to vote for their candidate", explained USA Today.

Trump, despite maintaining a higher favorability rating at 50% in the USA TODAY/Suffolk University/WSVN-TV, is also trailing among independent voters in Florida, a group he lost by 11 points to Biden in 2020.

The poll was conducted via phone between August 7 and August 11, surveying 500 likely voters in Florida.