Our forecast puts Kamala Harris and Donald Trump neck and neck
We relaunch our presidential-election model for a transformed race
![The illustration shows Donald Trump and Kamala Harris with a red bar graph diagonally cutting across them. The colour scheme is predominantly red and blue, highlighting the political context.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240817_LDD003.jpg)
THE MOOD among Democrats, as they prepare to gather for their national convention in Chicago next week, is ebullient. Kamalamentum has transformed the presidential contest. Meanwhile, the Republicans are finding it hard to adjust to the new dynamics: the glitch that delayed the start of Donald Trump’s conversation with Elon Musk, carried live on X on August 12th, was emblematic of a campaign that is no longer going to plan. Yet if there is one lesson from this wild election year, it is that things can change with remarkable speed.
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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “A coin toss for the White House”
Leaders August 17th 2024
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