Former President Trump has taken the lead among Jewish voters in the predominantly Democratic state of New York.
According to a Siena Research Institute poll released on Tuesday, Trump has achieved the backing of 50% of likely Jewish voters in New York, slightly edging out Vice President Harris, who secured 49% of the respondents’ votes.
Despite the narrow advantage for Trump, this represents a significant shift from his earlier standings against President Biden, who in June held a lead over Trump among likely Jewish voters, 52%-46%.
The dynamics of the race have altered considerably since the last survey, particularly after Biden’s decision last month to withdraw from the race and promptly endorse Harris, who rapidly worked to solidify her position as the Democratic nominee.
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Both the Trump and Harris campaigns have released advertisements criticizing each other’s positions on U.S. southern border policies. (Getty Images)
Harris ascending to the forefront of the Democratic ticket comes as some Israel supporters express concerns that her support for the Jewish state may be diminishing. Critics argue she has started to distance herself from the Biden administration since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
In March, Harris became the first administration official to advocate for an “immediate cease-fire” in the conflict, and she later warned of potential “consequences” for Israel if it proceeded with a planned invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah, during an interview with ABC News.
Questions have also been raised about Harris’s rapport with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly after she seemingly avoided queries about whether Netanyahu had become an “obstacle to peace.”
“I believe we must continue to enforce our established priorities regarding the situation in Gaza,” Harris stated in her response. “We have been very clear that far too many innocent Palestinians have lost their lives. Both Israel—its people—and Palestinians are entitled to equal security and dignity.”
Vice President Harris (Erin Schaff/Pool via Reuters/File)
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The poll arrives just before Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz over Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, the sole Jewish candidate in consideration. Some speculate this decision was influenced by Shapiro’s unpopularity among Democrats, who have adopted a more sympathetic stance toward Palestinians since the outbreak of war in Gaza.
Traditionally, Jewish voters have favored Democratic candidates over the last several decades. An analysis by the American Enterprise Institute indicates that since 1968, Jewish voters have supported Democrats by an average margin of 71% to 26% compared to Republicans.
In 2020, Jewish voters supported Biden over Trump by a margin of 68% to 30%, while in 2016, they preferred Clinton over Trump with a 71% to 26% margin.
President Biden (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images/File)
However, not all news is unfavorable for Harris; she has managed to strengthen her overall standing against Trump among all likely voters in New York. According to the latest poll, Harris leads Trump 53% to 39%, showing significant improvement compared to the eight- to ten-point advantage Biden had in earlier polls.
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The Siena College Research Institute poll was conducted between July 28 and August 1, surveying 1,199 likely voters in New York, 8% of whom identified as Jewish; the poll has a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points.
The Harris campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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