(NewsNation) — The nation’s second-in-command is struggling to find support among American voters, a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll revealed.
Data found 52% of people view Vice President Kamala Harris unfavorably, and most don’t think she could win an election as the Democratic nominee.
While 60% of Democrats think she could take top office, only a quarter of independents feel the same.
When it comes to leadership, only 42% of respondents identified the vice president as a strong leader. Her party backed her in this aspect, with three-quarters of Democrats vouching for her leadership compared to the one-third of independents who agreed.
“It’s a challenge for any vice president to break out of the shadow of the person who is in the Oval Office,” said Jesse Byrnes, senior editor for The Hill. “Harris is no different.”
Harris isn’t alone — her low polling numbers mirror running mate President Joe Biden‘s. The pair’s overall favorability was underwater.
Biden tallied 43% favorable and 54% unfavorable, followed by 42% favorable and 52% unfavorable for Harris.
But there are bright spots for the former California senator. She polled well on key issues like abortion and outperformed Biden with Black voters, even sweeping ahead of other potential Democratic nominees.
That’s a metric pertinent to the race, with some concerned over the age of America’s two front-runners. Come Election Day, Biden will be 81, and Donald Trump will be 78.
“Really, there’s a tell in terms of the Republican attacks. We’ve seen a lot of Republicans say that Trump is not going up against Biden in November; he’s going up against Harris,” Byrnes said. “They understand that Harris also struggles with her favorability numbers, and they want to put a spotlight on it.”
