The vice presidential debate between Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) was generally viewed as a win for Vance, but post-debate polls do not show a significant change in the overall state of the race.
Multiple polls showed voters and debate viewers were split on who won the debate, with nearly all saying it would not change their minds about whom they would support at the top of the ticket in November.
A CNN instant poll conducted Tuesday showed a narrow majority, 51% to 49%, believed Vance did a better job in the debate than Walz. The outlet said its poll was roughly 5 points more Democratic-leaning than the national registered voter population.
The survey also found that of those who watched the debate, only 1% said it changed their minds about whom to vote for, and 13% said it made them reconsider who they would support but did not change their minds. The vast majority of debate viewers, 86%, said it would not affect their choice for president.
A CBS News-YouGov poll of voters who watched the debate, conducted in the immediate aftermath of the showdown, also showed a split race between who won. Vance was narrowly viewed as the winner over Walz, 42% to 41%, while 17% believed the debate was a tie.
Vance and Walz saw similar improvements in their favorability following the debate, with Walz’s favorability improving by 8 points and Vance’s improving by 9 points. The vast majority of debate watchers surveyed, 88%, thought the tone of the debate was generally positive.
A Politico-Focaldata poll conducted among likely voters who did and did not watch the debate had a 50%-50% split on who won it.
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The vice presidential debate has rarely had any significant impact on the presidential contest in previous elections.
The debate between Vance and Walz was likely the final vice presidential, and presidential debate overall, of the 2024 campaign. Vice President Kamala Harris has called for another debate, but former President Donald Trump has rejected her proposal after she rejected an earlier proposal from the former president for additional debates.