ATLANTA — Democrats switched presidential candidates this week, and a new poll indicates they may have done the right thing by Georgia voters. However, it also shows that younger voters are still split between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
At age 59, Democrat Kamala Harris is 19 years younger than Republican Donald Trump and has freshened up the race in Georgia, says pollster Mark Rountree.
"Kamala Harris has pulled together a lot of the sort of anti-Trump vote. She’s still is not leading in Georgia. But she is doing much better than Biden was," said Rountree, whose firm Landmark Communications has done public polls in Georgia since 2010.
"She’s younger and can relate more than someone that’s older to our generation," said voter Mya Williams, a student at Georgia State University. She says a candidate’s age is only somewhat important. Voter Courtney Bailey, 22, agrees.
"I feel like age doesn’t necessarily matter. I feel more so it’s the mentality," said Bailey.
Landmark's poll of Georgia voters conducted Monday shows Trump statistically tied with Harris.
That deadlock extends to voters age 50 and below – as well as voters age 51 and above.
According to Cobb County Democrat Gabriel Sanchez, 27, Harris will have to do more than just be the younger candidate to win younger voters.
"Just no 'BS,'" Sanchez said. "I think a lot of young people are tired of the 'BS' that politicians like to serve us a lot. And I have hope that she’ll be able to do it," said Sanchez, who unseated Democratic state Rep. Teri Anulewicz in the May primary. He faces a Republican in November in the heavily Democratic district.
Sanchez thinks Harris’ biggest challenge with younger voters in Georgia will be getting them off the couch and motivated to vote in November.