WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump leads among likely voters in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, outpacing U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris six weeks before the Nov. 5 presidential election, a New York Times/Siena College poll showed on Monday.
Trump bested his Democratic rival 50% to 45% in Arizona last week, 49% to 45% in Georgia and 49% to 47% in North Carolina, according to the poll, which echoed other recent polls showing a close contest.
The three states are among seven critical swing states that are likely to decide the 2024 presidential contest between Trump, a convicted felon, and Harris, a former prosecutor who would be the first woman U.S. 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 Sept. 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.