Trump holds 10-point lead over Harris with New York Jews, poll finds

The poll indicates that some Jewish voters could be fleeing the Democratic Party over frustrations stemming from Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war and surging antisemitism.

By Corey Walker, The Algemeiner

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a commanding lead over her Democratic opponent Kamala Harris among New York Jewish voters in the 2024 election, according to the latest Siena College poll.

The poll found that Jewish New Yorkers prefer Trump, who previously served as the 45th US president, over Harris, the current vice president, by a margin of 54 percent to 44 percent when including third-party candidates.

If the US presidential election were held today and it was just a two-person race, the figures would only change slightly, with Trump beating Harris among Jewish voters in the Empire State by a margin of 54 percent to 46 percent.

Conducted from Sept. 11-16, the findings suggest that Trump has made significant inroads with the Jewish community.

Additional polling data from Siena indicates that Jewish voters are rapidly warming up to Trump as Election Day in the US inches closer.

Trump led Harris 50 percent to 49 percent among Jewish New York voters in August, according to Siena College. In June, Jewish voters preferred then-presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden over Trump 52 percent to 46 percent.

Trump’s favorability among Jewish voters has also significantly increased in recent months, according to the polling data. In July, 44 percent of Jewish voters indicated a “favorable” view of Trump and 52 percent indicated an “unfavorable” view of the former president.

That number has surged since then, with 52 percent of Jewish voters revealing a “favorable” view of Trump and 48 percent revealing an “unfavorable” view of the Republican nominee in the latest poll.

The poll represents the latest indication that at least some Jewish voters could be fleeing the Democratic Party, potentially over frustrations stemming from the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war and surging antisemitism within traditionally-liberal institutions.

The data also indicates that Harris possesses notably weaker support among New York Jews than Biden, potentially suggesting dissatisfaction over the vice president’s positions on Israel or a lack of trust that she will forcefully defend the Jewish state’s interests.

Trump has made numerous overtures to the Jewish community in recent months, attempting to win over a significant share of the traditionally-liberal voting bloc. He has delivered speeches at various events catered toward the Jewish community, including the Republican Jewish Coalition.

The former president also co-hosted an event focusing on antisemitism at his Trump National Golf Club Bedminster alongside prominent Jewish donor Miriam Adelson.

The former president has touted his former administration’s support for Israel as a centerpiece of his 2024 campaign.

During his single term in office, Trump recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategic region on Israel’s northern border previously controlled by Syria.

He also moved the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, recognizing the city as the Jewish state’s capital. The Trump administration also helped to broker the Abraham Accords, which normalized Israel’s relations with four Arab countries in 2020.

Evidence of Trump’s success in wooing Jewish voters has been replicated by other polls. A July survey conducted by pollster Richard Baris showed that Jewish voters nationally prefer Harris over Trump by a margin of 52.7 percent to 45.9 percent.

However, a poll commissioned by the Jewish Democratic Council of America released earlier this month found that 72 percent of Jewish Americans plan on casting a ballot for Harris and 25 percent are poised to do the same for Trump.

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