Vice President Kamala Harris got plenty of good news from New York Tuesday. Not only were leading Democrats in the state happy with her choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, but a new Siena College poll also gave her a commanding lead over former President Donald Trump among state voters.
The poll, which was conducted from July 28 to Aug. 1 among 1,199 likely voters in New York, was the first time Siena College included Harris in the horserace against Trump. It shows Harris with a stronger lead than former candidate President Joe Biden had against Trump before he dropped out of the high-intensity race on July 21. Biden had only an eight-point edge on Trump in New York in a June poll.
In a six-way election, Siena found in its Aug. 6 poll that Harris also leads Trump 49-37%, with 7% for independent candidate (and apparent bear body-dumper) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and 4% for the other three minor party candidates, the poll shows.
Harris’ overall favorability rating in New York is also at 53-43%, up from 42-47% in October according to the poll.
The VP, a former California prosecutor, has the support of 86% of Democrats, up from only 75% that Biden had in June.
“The landscape has changed since the last Siena College poll,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in a press release. “The change at the top of the Democratic ticket has had a noticeable, while not dramatic, effect on the horserace.”
Walz a favorite among New York Democrats
New York Democrats, both moderate and progressive, expressed enthusiasm over Harris’ selection of Walz, a progressive, as her running mate.
“Tim Walz is an exceptional governor, leader and friend —- he’ll be an outstanding VP,” NYS Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on X on Tuesday. “From our days in Congress to his leadership as governor, Tim Walz has delivered for working families and will move our country forward. Let’s do this! Harris-Walz 2024.”
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York commented on X by saying she has been “impressed” by Walz’s accomplishments, including his work on the original STOCK Act, designed to prohibit insider trading.
“Tim Walz and I both fought to pass the original STOCK Act, back when he was still in the House! I know he’s a fighter — and I’ve been so impressed by everything he’s accomplished for working families in Minnesota,” the senator wrote. “I’m proud to support him as our vice presidential nominee!”
.@Tim_Walz and I both fought to pass the original STOCK Act, back when he was still in the House! I know he’s a fighter — and I’ve been so impressed by everything he’s accomplished for working families in Minnesota. I’m proud to support him as our vice presidential nominee! https://t.co/bOZe02HAHU
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) August 6, 2024
News of the Walz pick was “music” to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s ears.
“I’m liking this even more now,” the speaker wrote on X above a post saying Walz named a highway after the late rockstar, Prince, who was from Minnesota.
Tuesday’s double-hitter news might signal a turnaround for New York Democrats, whose party was in turmoil last month before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race to clear the path for Harris.
While New York Democrats are whole-heartedly supporting the Harris-Walz ticket, Trump still hopes to win over his hometown state by becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win the Empire State since Ronald Reagan did it in 1984, despite Hochul saying there is “zero” chance of that happening.
“Donald Trump will not win New York state,” Hochul said on CNN on July 31. “Kamala Harris and her running mate will win New York state. And something else that’s going to happen in New York state — we’re going to take back the House of Representatives.”
Meanwhile, in true Trump fashion, the former President said Harris (while misspelling her first name, perhaps intentionally) will be “easier to beat” than Biden during a debate on stage. He backed out of a scheduled ABC debate in September, but claimed to challenge her to a Fox News debate instead.
“Kamabla (sic) Harris is afraid to debate me on FoxNews,” Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social. “She will be easier to defeat on the debate stage than crooked Joe Biden.”
