Optimism in the country perked up after Harris entered race with poll reaching highest peak since 2021

In early July, only 20 percent of people polled by the Wall Street Journal thought the country was headed in the right direction.

A month later, with Vice President Kamala Harris atop the Democratic presidential ticket, that number has gone up to 29 percent – the highest it has been in three years.

The results from the new survey indicate a newfound sense of optimism across the US, conceivably because there is a new, younger candidate on the ballot, something voters of all ages and genders have asked for consistently over the last year. 

Harris becoming the presidential candidate race has inspired a new wave of hope, palpable at her rallies and on social media.

“Hope is here,” actor Sally Fields wrote on Instagram after the DNC.

“This has been a historic transformation,” Joseph Foster, former Democratic Party chairman, told Reuters. “People are enthused, young people are engaged. I have never seen anything like it.”

Although a majority of voters rallied behind President Joe Biden in 2020, that enthusiasm diminished quickly throughout his 2024 campaign. His dismal presidential debate performance in June solidified voters’ mistrust, and concern that he would be unable to effectively hold office for another four years.

Republican voters have also raised concerns about Donald Trump’s age, and his slew of criminal and civil trials have left a negative mark on his record. The shadow of January 6 and the aftermath of the 2020 election also follow him around.

Polling from early July showed Trump defeating Biden in multiple swing states, disappointing Democratic voters.

The idea of a Biden-Trump rematch was uninspiring to voters. In early July, only 75 percent of voters said they were extremely motivated to vote – that number has now jumped to 83 percent.

New national polling shows Harris catching up to Trump in those same swing states – though pollsters have cautioned that these numbers are within the margin of error. Still, that is an improvement on Biden’s numbers.

Najae Maguta, a voter in Pennslyvania told WSJ that once Harris became the Democratic nominee she “had to make sure” she was registered to vote.

“If Harris wins, I definitely think this country will be taking a better turn,” she told the newspaper.

Though 29 percent might not seem like much, it’s a noteworthy jump in under a year. An extremely low percentage of voters saw the country headed in the right direction in April 2023 –  15 percent – and in December 2023 – 19 percent.