Jill Stein Gains Support Among U.S. Muslim Voters, Challenging Kamala Harris’s Position
Washington, D.C., The Gulf Observer: Growing discontent among Arab American and Muslim voters regarding U.S. support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza is causing some to withdraw their support from Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential race. Many are instead rallying behind third-party candidate Jill Stein, a shift that could jeopardize Harris’s prospects in critical battleground states ahead of the November 5 election.
A late August poll conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) revealed that in Michigan—home to a significant Arab American population—40 percent of Muslim voters expressed support for Stein and the Green Party. In contrast, Republican candidate Donald Trump garnered 18 percent of the vote, while Harris lagged behind at just 12 percent.
The poll, which was conducted via text message over two weeks before the recent Harris-Trump debate on September 10, indicated that Harris was leading Trump 29.4 percent to 11.2 percent overall, with 34 percent of respondents favoring third-party candidates, including Stein, who captured 29.1 percent.
Harris remains a preferred candidate among Muslim voters in Georgia and Pennsylvania; however, Trump secured a narrow lead in Nevada, receiving 27 percent compared to Harris’s 26 percent, according to the nationwide CAIR survey of 1,155 Muslim voters. All these states are critical battlegrounds that have previously swung by narrow margins in elections.
The Green Party has achieved ballot access in most states, including all key battlegrounds, except for Georgia and Nevada, where it is currently seeking inclusion through legal action.
Furthermore, Stein is leading in support among Muslim voters in Arizona and Wisconsin, two additional battlegrounds where Biden won by slim margins in the 2020 election.
In 2020, President Biden received a substantial share of the Muslim vote, with various exit polls attributing between 64 percent and 84 percent of their support to him. However, since the onset of Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, there has been a notable decline in Muslim backing for Democratic candidates, posing a significant challenge for Harris as she campaigns for the upcoming election.
