Warren and Harris get a big electability bump after 1st debate


New polling suggests Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) were the clear winners of the first round of Democratic debates — and former Vice President Joe Biden no longer holds a huge lead on electability.
A HuffPost/YouGov poll released on Monday shows that 51 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters now say Warren could win in a general election, while 49 percent say the same of Harris. Both candidates have improved their electability quite a bit compared to a poll conducted in May, with Warren jumping 11 percentage points and Harris jumping 10 percentage points.
Biden, meanwhile, has taken a hit on this issue. In the poll, 57 percent of voters said Biden can win in a general election, down from 70 percent from in May. Previously, Biden led Harris and Warren by about 30 percentage points on the issue of electability. Now, his lead is down to less than 10 percentage points, although HuffPost notes that since the earlier number was from May, the change could be due to a variety of factors including last week's debates.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Democrats picked Warren and Harris as the winners of night one and night two of the debates, respectively, and it wasn't even close: 59 percent of voters said Warren won the first night compared to 16 percent who said former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, while 59 percent also said Harris won the second night, compared to 16 percent for Biden.
Additionally, 58 percent of voters surveyed said their opinion of Warren improved following the first debate, while 58 percent said the same of Harris. In contrast, 35 percent said that their opinion of Biden worsened after the debate, compared to 24 percent who said it improved.
Harris' national press secretary, Ian Sams, celebrated this poll on Monday, calling the data point on electability "a BFD."
HuffPost/YouGov's poll was conducted by speaking with 1,000 U.S. adults from June 27-28 and Jun 28-29. A standard margin of error was not reported. See the full results at HuffPost.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
5 low ratings cartoons about the Late Show cancellation
Cartoons Artists take on early warning signs, the Gen Z stare, and more
-
Connie Francis: Superstar of the early 1960s pop scene
In the Spotlight The 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Stupid Cupid' singer has died aged 87
-
Crossword: July 26, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office
-
President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
Speed Read The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands
-
'Bawdy' Trump letter supercharges Epstein scandal
Speed Read The Wall Street Journal published details of Trump's alleged birthday letter to Epstein