Presidential race remains tied before first debate

(CN) — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump remain locked in a dead heat among registered voters as they prepare for their first debate, according to a survey published Monday by the Pew Research Center.

About half of the registered voters polled, or 49%, said they would vote for Harris if the election were held today, the nonpartisan think tank reports. An identical share said they would back Trump.

The former president continues to poll well on two key issues — immigration and the economy.

Fifty-five percent of voters say they are very or somewhat confident in Trump’s ability to steer the economy, compared to 45% who said the same about Harris. A little over half of voters say they are confident in Trump’s decision making on immigration, compared to 45% for Kamala.

Harris enjoys an advantage over Trump on abortion policy, 55% to 45%, and voters were more likely to describe the vice president as honest, mentally sharp and even-tempered.

The national survey, which was conducted among 9,720 adults between Aug. 26 and Sept. 2, is the latest to suggest the race remains tight between the candidates after independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed Trump.

A Times/Siena poll published Sunday found Trump leading Harris 48% to 47%, within the poll’s 3-point margin of error.

Trump continues to lead Harris among white voters, 56% to 42%. Harris holds a large advantage with Black voters, 84% to 13%, and Asian voters, 61% to 37%. While Latino voters were evenly divided between President Joe Biden and Trump in July, Harris now enjoys an 18-point advantage — 57% to 39%, according to the survey.

Democrats expressed enthusiasm about Harris’ campaign in the new poll.

More than half of Harris supporters told the Pew Research Center they were very or fairly satisfied with the presidential candidates. By comparison, only 18% of Biden supporters said the same before he dropped his reelection bid.

Forty-five percent of Trump’s supporters say they are similarly satisfied.

The candidates will square off in their first debate Tuesday on ABC News. It’s a political test for both candidates but particularly Trump, whose abrasive attacks have turned off some voters in past debates.

A significant majority of voters in the survey, 66%, said they believe Trump has been too personally critical of Harris — including four in 10 Trump supporters. Meanwhile, only 45% of voters say Harris has been too critical of Trump, including just one in 10 Harris supporters.

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