Recent polling has revealed some interesting perspectives on the political alignment of Vice President Kamala Harris in comparison to President Joe Biden. A Harvard-Harris survey found that four out of ten respondents believe that Harris is positioned more to the left than her counterpart, a perception that may have implications for the 2024 presidential race.
The survey posed the question, “Is Kamala Harris to the left or the right of Biden politically, or is she largely aligned with him?” A majority of respondents stated that either Harris was “largely aligned” with Biden (49%) or that she was even further to the left than he is (38. Only 13% believed that she leaned more to the right.
When examining party affiliations, the results indicated a clear divide among respondents. The majority of Republicans surveyed (57%) thought that Harris was more liberal than Biden, while this sentiment was shared by 38% of Independents and 19% of Democrats. Interestingly, a higher percentage of Independents (53%) stated that Harris was “largely aligned” with Biden, as did the majority of Democrats surveyed (63.
The survey also found that a significant number of respondents, 67%, believed that Harris would continue to implement policies similar to those enforced by the Biden administration on matters such as taxes, inflation, immigration, and energy. This consensus was maintained across all party affiliations, with 71% of Democrats, 67% of Republicans, and 63% of Independents sharing this belief.
These findings reinforce the messaging from former President Donald Trump’s campaign, which has emphasized that it does not matter who the Democratic Party chooses as their nominee; the policies would remain consistent with the Biden-Harris administration, if not more radical given Harris’s perceived progressive stance on various issues.
In an interview prior to a large rally in Ohio, Trump’s running mate JD Vance expressed his campaign’s focus on emphasizing common sense and prosperity for the American people rather than focusing solely on their Democratic opponents. The Trump campaign has consistently criticized Harris as “dangerously liberal,” with national spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt calling her “to the left of Bernie Sanders.
Ultimately, the Harvard-Harris survey results indicate that many Americans perceive Vice President Kamala Harris to be more progressive than President Joe Biden. This perception could have implications for both parties as they navigate the political landscape leading up to the 2024 election season.