A poll released Monday by the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) indicates that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, leads former President Donald Trump by a wide margin among American Jewish voters, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The survey conducted by GBAO shows 68% of Jewish voters planning to support Harris, compared to 25% for Trump.
The poll, which has a 3.5 percentage-point margin of error, suggests that recent campaigning and heated exchanges between the parties have not significantly shifted the Jewish electorate. It also indicates that Republican efforts to attract more Jewish voters following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel have not substantially altered voting intentions.
"The survey shows Jewish voters favoring the Democratic candidate in slightly greater numbers than they did in April, when President Joe Biden was the presumptive nominee," the JTA reports. An earlier poll conducted by the JDCA-affiliated Jewish Electorate Institute found Biden leading Trump 64% to 24% among Jewish voters.
The latest survey also reveals strong support for the Biden administration's efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, with 87% of American Jewish voters backing attempts to secure the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
From the GBAO Strategies-JDCA poll of Jewish voters:
83% of Orthodox voters support Trump, while only 17% will vote for Harris.
For Orthodox, Israel is ranked 4th on the list of the most important issue in the election. Economy and antisemitism top that. pic.twitter.com/8WsKimRL4I
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) September 9, 2024
Both major parties have intensified their outreach to Jewish voters as the November 5 election approaches. The campaigns have engaged in increasingly sharp rhetoric, with a recent JDCA ad linking Trump to Adolf Hitler, while Trump told the Republican Jewish Coalition that Jews "will never survive" if Harris is elected.
Despite the heightened focus on Israel-related issues following the October 7 attack, the survey found that Israel ranked ninth when respondents were asked to select their top two issues of concern. The future of democracy and abortion rights were the top-ranked issues among Jewish voters.
83% of Orthodox voters support Trump, while only 17% will vote for Harris. For Orthodox Jews, Israel is ranked 4th on the list of the most important issues in the election. Economy and antisemitism top Israel.
The overall poll also indicated high levels of concern about antisemitism, with 91% of respondents expressing worry about the issue. Additionally, Jewish voters appear highly motivated to participate in the upcoming election, with 82% rating themselves at the highest level on a motivation scale.
The survey reached 800 voters between August 27 and September 1 via text-to-web polling, a method in which potential respondents are contacted by text message and directed to an internet poll.
