PENNSYLVANIA, USA — As a crucial week in the race for the White House wraps up, recent polling from Franklin & Marshall College suggests the contest is still neck and neck.
Vice President Kamala Harris leads Former President Donald Trump by just three points in Pennsylvania, well within the poll's four-point margin of error.
A recent Emerson College poll gives Former President Trump a slight edge with 49% support compared to 48% for Vice President Harris.
"Still, neither candidate is at 50%," said Berwood Yost, director of the Franklin and Marshall College Center for Opinion Research. "This race could go either way."
As for voters' opinions of the two candidates, polls show the former president has an advantage regarding their faith in his ability to lead the military as Commander in Chief and an even larger lead on the economy; 51% of respondents favored Trump, compared to just 39% for Harris.
"The place where she’s weakest is on the economy," Yost stated.
Polling suggests Harris has an advantage when it comes to public perception, receiving higher marks on questions of honesty, good character and judgment. Meanwhile, 49% of respondents said Harris better represents their views on abortion access and LGBTQ issues, while 40% felt more aligned with Trump.
"Really, the question is how many voters are going to be motivated by economic concerns versus how many voters are going to be concerned about issues like abortion rights and perhaps democracy," Yost said.
As for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race, polling shows Democratic Incumbent Bob Casey has a 12-point lead over Republican Dave McCormick after a barrage of ads criticizing McCormick’s connections to China.
"Among certain elements of the Republican base, they seem to be less likely today to vote for him than they were in April," Yost explained. "It’s not like they’re voting for Bob Casey. More of them have moved into the undecided category."
Meanwhile, a recent poll from Emerson College shows a tighter race, with Casey leading by just four points.
As candidates try to rally their bases, their campaigns will also need to answer one important question.
"How do you reach out to those moderate and independent voters who are truly up for grabs?" Yost said. "Whoever has the most successful messaging to attract them, they’re going to win Pennsylvania."