Harris support among Black swing-state voters steady: Survey

Vice President Harris is maintaining her lead over former President Trump with Black voters in swing states, according to a new survey. 

The Howard University Initiative on Public Opinion poll found that 84 percent of Black likely voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin will support Harris in November. Only 8 percent said they will support Trump. 

But the survey also found a wide gender gap, with Harris leading Trump by 81 points among Black women but only by 59 points among Black men. 

Black men under 50 were most likely to support Trump. While 81 percent of Black women under 50 said they support Harris, only 68 percent of Black men under 50 said the same. 

Harris is aware of her slipping support among Black men and has recently stepped up efforts to court them through her “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men,” which includes providing 1 million small-business loans with up to $20,000 in forgiveness; training and mentorship programs to help open the door to “high-demand” industries; and an initiative focused on addressing health issues disproportionately impacting Black men. 

The vice president has also vowed to legalize marijuana and ensure that Black men benefit from its business potential.

But the survey also showed a split between men and women on the top issues for Black voters this year. 

While Black women pointed to abortion as their top issue, Black men identified democracy and the economy as their top concerns. 

Still, Black voters overwhelmingly trust Harris to handle top issues more than Trump. 

Among Black voters, 83 percent said they trust Harris to handle the economy, compared to 11 percent who said they trusted Trump more. On abortion, 86 percent said they trust Harris more, while only 8 percent trust Trump. And 83 percent said they trust Harris to handle immigration, while only 12 percent trusted Trump. 

The results are fairly consistent with a September survey that showed Harris’s support at 82 percent and Trump’s support at 12 percent. 

The survey of 981 likely voters who identified as African American or Black and are registered to vote in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin was conducted Oct. 2-8. The margin of error for likely voters is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.