(NewsNation) — With less than a month remaining before the presidential election, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remain in a neck-and-neck race for the White House, especially important in crucial swing states that could ultimately decide the outcome.
Polling conducted in states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and North Carolina suggests that any leads held by either candidate remain within the margin of error. That indicates that all of the races will remain tightly contested through next month’s election, especially in those states that always play a critical role in election results.
Jessica Taylor, the editor of Senate & Governors at the Cook Political Report, told NewsNation that while some polling suggests Harris holds a slim lead over Trump in states like Pennsylvania, Republicans are getting some encouraging signs from on-the-ground data in those places.
Taylor said that Harris is doing better among female voters than President Joe Biden was trending before he announced he would drop out of the election in July. However, Trump is picking up traction among Black voters, especially Black men – a demographic in which Biden was leading, Taylor said. That could make swing states even more important for Harris’ hopes of winning the White House.
The Latino vote will also play a critical role, especially with immigration remaining a critical issue for voters. Again, Latino voters remain split among gender lines with women lending support for Harris while men favor Trump, Taylor said.
In each case, the two candidates will remain close in polls through the Nov. 5 election.
“Certainly, they’re more competitive in all of those seven swing states than Joe Biden ever was,” Taylor said. “I think Arizona, Nevada is still very much in play, North Carolina is still very close.
“I think Georgia is still one of the tougher states in that regard, but you’ll talk to the Harris campaign and other Democrats, and they’ll say they always expected this to tighten.”