US Vice President Kamala Harris holds a narrow lead over her Republican rival Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. The four-point lead is a small but notable improvement for Democrats in the election race, a month after polls had shown then-presidential nominee Joe Biden and Trump in a dead heat.
Harris' progress marks a significant boost to the Democrats ahead of their national convention which begins tonight. Harris will officially accept her nomination as the Democratic presidential nominee at the convention.
While Harris stands at 49 percent, Trump is not far behind at 45 percent, the survey shows. If third-party candidates are included, Harris is at 47 percent, Trump at 44 percent and Robert F Kennedy Jr at 5 percent.
In July, Trump took the lead with 43 percent, Biden was at 42 percent and Kennedy at 9 percent.
As Harris' lead in the new Post-ABC-Ipsos poll gives Democrats a slight edge, the poll still points to a tight November election in November. Seven swing states Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada will hold the key to doors of success for the two presidential candidates.
But other public polls have indicated that Harris has gained ground in almost all swing states since Biden left the race.
The current US president's sudden exit from the poll race was set in motion after his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate against his predecessor Trump. The gaffe-prone president put up a weak fight against his rival prompting several Democratic leaders and donors to call for him to step down from the election race.
After remaining defiant for months, Biden finally yielded to the pressure on July 21 and endorsed his deputy Harris for the Democratic nomination.
The Democrats now hope to extend this lead ahead of their convention tonight and the upcoming debate between the two nominees. The key speakers endorsing Harris at the convention will include Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bill and Hillary Clinton.