Trump, Harris in dead heat in poll of 7 critical battleground states

Former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris are neck-and-neck in key swing states, according to a poll released Wednesday.

A survey conducted by Ipsos found the Republican presidential nominee and his Democratic opponent are in a dead heat struggle for seven swing states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada.

Harris receives 42% of the vote share in the seven swing states, compared to Trump’s 40% and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy’s 5%.

Ipsos said in their report that the ‘margin on the ballot is well within the margin of error, indicating a race that is too close to call.’

Approximately 52% of respondents in the swing states said that inflation is the most important issue facing the country, while 32% said immigration is the most pressing matter.

The Ipsos poll was conducted between Jul. 31 and Aug. 7 — the Harris campaign announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Aug. 6.

Pollsters have not had enough time to effectively survey the impact of Walz’s selection on Harris’s chances.

The campaign has made it a point to highlight Walz’s Midwestern roots and everyman persona, introducing him as ‘Coach Walz’ during rallies in a nod to his time as a teacher and high school football coach.

Harris will lean on Walz in the critical Midwestern swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin, where the Minnesota governor can point to his regional ties.

The Ipsos poll utilized a representative probability sample of 2,045. 

Respondents consisted of U.S. adults 18 or older living in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Ipsos reports a margin of sampling error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.