Harris Gains Early Advantage with Young Voters, Poll Shows

Vice President Kamala Harris is making a strong impression among America's youngest voters, according to a new Axios/Generation Lab poll. The survey reveals that Harris is significantly more popular with voters aged 18 to 34 compared to President Joe Biden.

Here's why it matters: Former President Donald Trump had been making inroads into the traditionally Democratic youth vote. However, Harris appears to be reversing this trend, potentially solidifying the Democrats' foothold with younger voters.

A look at the numbers 

The poll, conducted entirely after Biden's recent announcement to step aside, explored preferences in hypothetical matchups between Biden and Trump and Harris and Trump. In a contest between Biden and Trump, the survey found that 53% of young voters favored Biden while 47% supported Trump, giving Biden a 6-point edge. However, in a matchup between Harris and Trump, Harris led with 60% of the vote compared to Trump's 40%, marking a 20-point advantage.

Additionally, 45% of young people have an extremely or somewhat favorable opinion of Harris, while 33% feel the same way about Biden and 34% about Trump.

Young voters are crucial 

Young voters played a crucial role in Biden's 2020 victory, with Pew Research Center data showing they favored him by a 20-point margin. As Harris looks to the presidency, this demographic will be vital to her campaign.

Cyrus Beschloss, CEO of Generation Lab, reportedly commented, "[T]his data actually does suggest that Harris could run up the score with young voters in a major way."