Harris Leads Trump in Three Key States, Times/Siena Polls Find

Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald J. Trump in three crucial battleground states, according to new surveys by The New York Times and Siena College, the latest indication of a dramatic reversal in standing for Democrats after President Biden’s departure from the presidential race remade it.

Ms. Harris is ahead of Mr. Trump by four percentage points in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, 50 percent to 46 percent among likely voters in each state. The surveys were conducted from Aug. 5 to 9.

The polls, some of the first high-quality surveys in those states since Mr. Biden announced he would no longer run for re-election, come after nearly a year of surveys that showed either a tied contest or a slight lead for Mr. Trump over Mr. Biden.

[On question after question, the poll finds that voters don’t seem to have major reservations about Kamala Harris, Nate Cohn writes .]

While the reshaped race is still in its volatile early weeks, Democrats are now in a notably stronger position in these three battleground states that have long been key to the party’s victories — or defeats. Still, the results show vulnerabilities for Ms. Harris. Voters prefer Mr. Trump when it comes to whom they trust to handle the economy and immigration, issues that remain central to the presidential race.

Ms. Harris’s numbers are an upswing for Democrats from Mr. Biden’s performance in those states, even before his much-maligned debate showing that destabilized his candidacy. In May, Mr. Biden was virtually tied with Mr. Trump in Times/Siena polling in Wisconsin and Michigan. Polling conducted before and after the debate in July showed Mr. Trump with a narrow lead in Pennsylvania.