US election enters the final stretch: Harris pulls ahead.

Both Harris and Trump understand that the next three months are a crucial race to determine who will enter the White House in 2025. However, both will face a long curve in campaign rallies in battleground states and the presidential debate in early September.

Harris is leading Trump in three battleground states.

According to a poll published by the New York Times on August 10, Vice President Harris is leading President Trump in key battleground states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. These are called battleground states because they will see fierce competition between the two candidates, determining who will win the election. The poll, conducted by the New York Times in collaboration with Siena College, began on August 5 with nearly 2,000 registered voters and included several questions, one of which was: "If the 2024 presidential election were held today, who would you vote for between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump?" The results show Harris leading Trump by 4 percentage points in these three states (50% versus 46%), a not-so-bad lead considering the previous situation. In May, even before President Joe Biden's disastrous performance in the June debate with Trump, New York Times/Siena College polls in the three states showed the incumbent president tied with or trailing his opponent. According to the New York Times/Siena College poll, Harris's approval rating had increased by 10 percentage points among registered voters in Pennsylvania in just the previous month. Voters in the three battleground states also viewed Harris as more intelligent and temperamentally suited to run the country than Trump. Among them was Les Lanser, a retired Michigan Republican who was considering supporting Harris in November, despite disagreeing with some Democratic policies, but stating he could not tolerate Trump's "disrespectful" and "unacceptable" attitude.

Following Biden's withdrawal from the race on July 22, a political whirlwind ensued, leading to Harris taking over the "torch." The New York Times/Siena College poll can be seen as the first quality barometer reflecting voter sentiment after the Democratic Party's mid-stream change of leadership. It also shows initial positive signs for Harris's campaign after over three weeks of effort, including a $50 million advertising campaign. However, the New York Times/Siena College poll also reveals Harris's weaknesses. Voters favored Trump when asked who they believed would handle economic and immigration issues better, which remain central to the presidential race. At the same time, Harris's rise should be viewed cautiously, as no one is sure how long this trend will last. According to the New York Times, candidates typically gain a few percentage points in the days and weeks following the announcement of their running mate. Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on August 5th, as voters were responding to New York Times/Siena College polls. For Trump, Harris's rise sounded an alarm, indicating the need to find a new message and strategy as soon as possible. According to NPR, the Democratic Party's change of running mate has caught Trump and his campaign off guard. Prior to this, they had focused their attacks on Biden and Democratic policies. This strategy had proven successful, and the attempted assassination in Pennsylvania had given Trump a lead in many polls. However, since Harris entered the race, Trump's campaign has taken some time to figure out what to highlight when attacking his opponent. A New York Times/Siena College poll showed that the incumbent vice president did not generate the same feelings of unease as Biden. In this context, Trump's controversial and misleading statements about Harris's background caused him to lose favor with voters. For racers, the corners are one of the crucial moments that determine who will pull ahead and cross the finish line first. Like two seasoned racers, both Trump and Harris understand this well, and know that rushing forward will lead to mistakes and allow their opponents to exploit them.