More Americans say Kamala Harris' gender will hurt her chances of being elected president: Poll
FILE - Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the Alliant Energy Center on Sept. 20, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Americans appear more likely to believe that being a woman will hurt Kamala Harris’ chances in the presidential election compared to Hillary Clinton’s chances in 2016, according to an Associated Press poll.
4 in 10 Americans think gender will hurt Harris’ chances
The shift in attitudes is largely driven by Democratic men, according to AP.
About 3 in 10 Democratic men thought Clinton’s gender would hurt her chances "somewhat" or "a lot" during her campaign against former President Donald Trump. About half now say that about Harris.
Democratic women have also grown more likely to say being a woman could be a hurdle for a presidential candidate: About 4 in 10 Democratic women said Clinton’s gender would hurt her, and about half say that about Harris now. Republican men only shifted slightly, and Republican women’s views remained stable.
About one-quarter of Americans said Harris’ gender won’t make a difference to her chances later this year.
In contrast, about 4 in 10 U.S. adults said that being a man will help Trump’s chances of being reelected, according to AP, which is up from 3 in 10 when the same question was asked in 2016.
What does Clinton say about Harris?
As the only other female candidate nominated to run on the Democratic presidential ticket, Clinton shared that she was "feeling really optimistic" that Harris will win after November’s election.
"We now don’t just have one image of a person who happens to be a woman who ran for president, namely me," Clinton said. "We’ve got a broader view, and I think that’s all for the good."
Poll aligns with each candidate’s approach to gender
During her campaign, Harris has focused less on the history-making potential of her win more so than Clinton did back in 2016, according to AP.
Harris has emphasized reproductive rights in her campaign and Trump’s nomination of three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Trump has courted younger men and promoted masculinity with appearances at mixed-martial arts events and football games. He also recently started calling himself a "protector" of women.