A recent poll reveals that Vice President Kamala Harris’s popularity is nearly on par with that of Beyoncé. According to the April omnibus survey conducted by Echelon Insight, 43% of voters hold a favorable view of Harris, while 45% feel the same about Beyoncé. Despite this near equivalence, the vice president faces twice as much unfavorable opinion, with 52% compared to Beyoncé’s 26%.
Throughout President Biden’s tenure, Harris, the first female, Black American, and Asian-American vice president, has grappled with fluctuating approval ratings. Despite starting with a 48% approval rating, Harris experienced a decline in mid-September 2021, just eight months into office, and her approval has remained below water since then, according to polling averages from FiveThirtyEight. In March, a Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll found only 35% approval for Harris, while a Suffolk University/USAToday survey showed 36% approval, with disapproval ratings at 46% and 52%, respectively.
The latest Echelon poll indicates Harris’s popularity is particularly strong among Black voters, with nearly seven-in-ten viewing her favorably, compared to fewer than half of Hispanic and Asian voters. Among white voters, less than four-in-ten hold favorable views of Harris.
Similarly, Beyoncé enjoys considerable popularity among Black voters, with 65% expressing favorable views. Support for her exceeds 40% among all other racial groups, and she also attracts significant support from young voters, with 57% expressing favorable views. Beyoncé’s appeal transcends political divides, with 63% of Democrats, 32% of Republicans, and 33% of independents viewing her favorably. In contrast, only 9% of Republicans have a favorable view of Harris. Interestingly, while both women enjoy similar levels of favorability, more voters express neutrality towards Beyoncé than towards Harris, with 27% having no opinion of the singer compared to only 5% for Harris.
The Echelon Insights poll surveyed 1,020 likely voters between April 12 and 14, with a margin of error of +/- 3.9 percentage points. President Joe Biden has assigned Harris with leading several significant initiatives, including immigration and reproductive rights. While immigration has posed challenges for Harris, drawing criticism from the GOP for her handling of the border crisis, she has found success advocating for abortion and reproductive rights, earning bipartisan praise for her efforts, particularly following the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision. Harris’s persistent advocacy on these issues, even amidst other political topics, highlights their importance and resonance with voters.
