Trump leads Kamala in these three key states, NYT poll shows

Republican Donald Trump is leading among likely voters in the key battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina, surpassing US Vice President Kamala Harris just six weeks ahead of the November 5 presidential election, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll.

The poll showed Trump ahead of his Democratic rival by 50% to 45% in Arizona, 49% to 45% in Georgia, and 49% to 47% in North Carolina. These findings align with other recent polls showing a tight race.

These three states are part of seven crucial swing states that are expected to determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential race between Trump, a convicted felon, and Harris, a former prosecutor who could become the first female US president.

Trump, who was president from 2017 to 2021, is seeking the White House again after losing to Joe Biden in 2020, an outcome he continues to falsely blame on voter fraud. The 78-year-old former president faces federal and state criminal charges over efforts to overturn the election results.

Harris, 59, whose nomination re-invigorated the Democratic Party after the 81-year-old Biden dropped his re-election bid, offered a chance at building a broader coalition among young adults, women, people of color and even some Republicans.

The poll indicates a tight matchup in line with other recent national polls, including those by Reuters/Ipsos. The September 17-21 survey was taken as reports rocked the North Carolina governor's race.

CNN on Thursday reported that Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Mark Robinson once called himself a "black NAZI!" and proposed bringing back slavery in comments posted on a pornography website. Four of Robinson's top aides quit on Sunday.

Monday's poll includes a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points in Arizona among 713 people polled in Arizona; plus or minus 4.6 points among 682 surveyed in Georgia and plus or minus 4.2 points among 682 surveyed in North Carolina.