However, the poll reveals that considerations of race and gender significantly benefit Harris among the electorate. Among voters who are not prompted to think about these aspects, Trump holds a slight 48-47 advantage over Harris. But when respondents are asked to consider the gender of the candidates, Harris pulls ahead, 52-42. When race is factored in, Harris opens up a 14-point lead, 53-39. “When voters are thinking about race or sex, Trump’s support just plummets,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of Government and Politics at Fairleigh Dickinson, and the Executive Director of the poll. “All the time, we hear strategists and pundits saying that Democratic candidates shouldn’t talk about identity, but these results show that making race and sex salient to voters is bad for Trump and boosts Harris.” The survey indicates that the shift in support due to race priming is largely driven by non-white voters, with the most significant changes observed among black voters. “Race matters in elections, but it’s not inevitable that voters are thinking about it,” said Cassino. “Trump does reasonably well among non-white voters so long as they’re not thinking about race: once they are, we see a huge shift to Harris,” Gender dynamics also play a crucial role in shaping voter preferences, according to the poll. Men who strongly identify with traditional masculine roles tend to support Trump, with 64 percent of these men favoring the former president. Conversely, men who do not fully align with traditional masculine identities, along with women in general, show strong support for Harris. “Trump has built his political career around a very specific performance of whiteness and masculinity,” said Cassino. “In the past, that’s been seen as a strength, but it’s no longer clear that it’s working.” The survey of 801 registered voters between Aug. 17 and Aug. 20, 2024 was conducted by Braun Research of Princeton, New Jersey.In the latest Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, Vice President Kamala Harris holds a seven-point lead over former President Donald Trump. The poll shows that 50 percent of likely voters support Harris, compared to 43 percent for Trump.
