The latest Des Moines Register poll showing Kamala Harris leading Trump in Iowa suggests that a significant shift is happening in the Midwest. According to the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll, Vice President Harris is leading former President Trump 47% to 44% among likely voters just days before a high-stakes election that appears deadlocked in key battleground states.
Independent voters, who had previously supported Trump, are now breaking for Harris. This shift is driven by the strength of independent women, who back Harris by a 28-point margin. Similarly, senior voters who are 65 and older favor Harris, with senior women supporting her by a more than 2-to-1 margin.
Since the overturn of Dobbs, Democrats have been overperforming in the Midwest. There have been no non-partisan polls showing Trump leading in Michigan or Wisconsin. The previous Des Moines Register poll had Trump leading by just four points over Harris, indicating a significant change in Iowa and other red midwestern states like Ohio.
The reason for Harris’s lead in Iowa may be attributed to the state’s total abortion ban, which has led to the closure of hospitals’ birthing units, a decrease in OBGYNs training in the state, and doctors leaving Iowa. This has created a rural healthcare crisis for expectant mothers, which could be a contributing factor to Harris’s lead in the polls.
Reproductive rights may play a more significant role in this election than previously acknowledged by Republicans or the male-dominated corporate media. If Kamala Harris were to win Iowa, it could signal a potential landslide for Democrats on Election Day.
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The article was written by Jason Easley, the managing editor of PoliticusUSA. Jason is a White House Press Pool and Congressional correspondent with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy and social reform movements. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association.
