A new poll from the Jewish Democratic Council of America shows that Jewish voters overwhelmingly support Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald
Trump in the upcoming election. According to the survey, 68% of Jewish voters plan to back Harris, while 25% intend to vote for Trump.
The survey also highlighted strong support among Jewish voters for the Biden administration’s efforts to broker a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, with 87% in favor of actions to release Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Despite a volatile campaign season, with heated discussions around both parties' treatment of Jewish voters, the poll suggests that Republican efforts to win over more Jewish voters since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel have had little effect. In fact, Harris’ lead over Trump has grown slightly from previous polls. A similar survey conducted in April, when President Joe Biden was the presumptive Democratic nominee, showed Biden ahead of Trump by 64% to 24% among Jewish voters. Harris now holds a 4-point advantage over Biden’s numbers, though still within the poll’s margin of error.
For decades, Jewish voters have consistently favored Democratic candidates, often by margins of at least 60%. In 2020, one poll by the Republican Jewish Coalition found that Biden outperformed Trump among Jewish voters by a margin of 60% to 30%. A J Street poll in the same year recorded an even wider margin, with 77% of Jewish voters supporting Biden and 21% favoring Trump.
When third-party candidates such as Jill Stein and Cornel West are excluded, Harris’ lead widens. In a hypothetical matchup without third-party candidates, Harris leads Trump 72% to 25%, compared to Biden’s 67% to 26%. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent third-party candidate, recently suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump.
The poll comes as both Democrats and Republicans ramp up their outreach efforts to Jewish voters, with both parties exchanging sharp criticisms over each other’s record on antisemitism. In recent campaign events, Trump warned that Jews "will never survive" if Harris is elected, while a recent ad from the Jewish Democratic Council of America linked Trump to Adolf Hitler.
The survey also shed light on Jewish voters’ top concerns. Despite the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Israel ranked ninth in importance when respondents were asked to prioritize issues, consistent with past surveys. The top-ranked issue was the future of democracy, followed by abortion rights, reflecting the continued impact of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn federal abortion protections.
While Israel did not rank as a top priority, 75% of respondents said they felt attached to the country, with 43% describing themselves as "very attached." Additionally, 91% expressed concern about rising antisemitism, with 66% saying they were "very concerned."
Jewish voters remain highly motivated to vote, with 82% rating their motivation to cast a ballot at 10 on a scale of one to 10. This enthusiasm is significant for both parties, given the presence of sizable Jewish populations in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Arizona.
The poll, conducted by GBAO between August 27 and September 1, surveyed 800 Jewish voters via a text-to-web system, reaching out to potential respondents by text message and directing them to an online poll.