Swing state poll shows Harris and Trump neck and neck after debate

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CN) — Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her GOP rival Donald Trump remain locked in a statistical dead heat in seven swing states, according to an Emerson College poll released Thursday.

Likely voters surveyed between Sept. 15 and 18 in seven swing states were divided roughly in half between the two candidates. In Georgia, Trump leads Harris 50% to 47%, in Arizona and Wisconsin 49% to 48%, and in Pennsylvania 48% to 47%.

In North Carolina and Michigan, Harris leads Trump slightly, 49% to 48% and 49% to 47%, respectively.

In Nevada, they each enjoy 48% support.

Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a statement Thursday that there has been “marginal movement” in the presidential election since the polls taken before the presidential debate.

“In Arizona and North Carolina, Trump lost a point, and Harris gained a point. Trump’s support stayed the same in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, while Harris’ support decreased by a point in Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, and stayed the same in Wisconsin. In Georgia, Trump gained two points and Harris lost two,” Kimball noted.

Prior to the presidential debate, a survey from the Pew Research Center showed the candidates tied as well. After the former president and current vice president squared off at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, Harris was widely deemed the debate’s winner – presenting her policy positions well and appearing cool, calm and in control onstage.

Trump, meanwhile, took flak for numerous false statements during the debate, including his debunked, now viral claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating the town’s dogs and cats. Additionally, Trump suggested Democratic states allow for the execution of newborns — an assertion that ABC News moderator Linsey Davis quickly noted is false.

The Emerson poll also looked at how voters expect the presidential election to shake out. The majority of voters in all surveyed swing states indicated they expected Harris to beat Trump.

The poll found that the top issue among surveyed voters in all states is the economy, with Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia voters showing the highest percentage of concern.

Other high-ranking concerns for the voters included immigration, threats to democracy, housing affordability, healthcare, and abortion.

Emerson College Polling conducted the polls through both cellphone and landline. Results from all states have a margin of error of plus or minus roughly 3%.