Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is leading by a substantial 38 percentage points among Asian American voters against her Republican opponent Donald Trump, according to a recent poll conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. This survey marks the first since President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race in July, paving the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. The findings, released on Tuesday, indicate a remarkable shift in voter sentiment since the spring.
The poll reveals that 66 percent of Asian American voters intend to support Kamala Harris, while only 28 percent express backing for former President Trump. The proportion of undecided voters or those considering other candidates stands at 6 percent. This significant lead expands on Biden’s previous 15-point advantage, showcasing a 23-point increase in support for Kamala Harris among Asian American voters since the spring.
In contrast to the 2024 Asian American Voter Survey (AAVS) conducted in April-May, where 46 percent of Asian American voters favored Biden and 31 percent supported Trump, the latest results highlight a notable change in political dynamics. The 2020 AAVS indicated that 54 percent of Asian American voters were inclined to vote for Biden, while 30 percent leaned toward Trump.
Moreover, Kamala Harris’s favorability among Asian American voters has surged by 18 points, with 62 percent now viewing her positively compared to 35 percent who hold an unfavorable opinion. This is a significant rise from the 2024 AAVS, where 44 percent viewed her favorably and 42 percent unfavorably. Conversely, only 28 percent of Asian American voters express a favorable opinion of Trump, with a striking 70 percent holding an unfavorable view of him, a decrease from 34 percent favorability in the earlier AAVS.
The survey also indicates that Kamala Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, is far more popular than Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance. Fifty-six percent of Asian American voters have a favorable opinion of Walz, compared to only 21 percent for Vance, with a large portion of voters unsure about either candidate.
Additionally, 38 percent of Asian American voters consider Kamala Harris’s identity as a woman to be “extremely” or “very” important to them, while 27 percent feel similarly about her Asian Indian or South Asian identity. The poll suggests that Asian American voters have been more actively engaged by the Democratic Party than by the Republican Party as the presidential elections approach on November 5.
