New polls show Vance shedding 'drag on Trump' label — and gaining momentum

Things appear to be looking up for Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), according to an analysis Friday in The Washington Post that suggested the Republican vice presidential nominee’s image is ticking up from once being floated as possibly “the most unpopular running mate in modern history.”

Vance’s growing poll numbers – conducted in the days after his well-received debate performance Oct. 2 – though limited so far — show “at the very least, Vance doesn’t appear to be as much of a drag on Trump,” analyst Aaron Blake wrote.

“Both an Economist/YouGov poll and a Yahoo/YouGov poll over the past week have shown Vance with his best image splits since Trump chose him as his vice-presidential candidate in July,” according to the analysis, which added that Vance was underwater by just three points in the first poll and down by six points in the second.

ALSO READ: Dems fear Mike Johnson has laid the groundwork for a nightmare scenario on Jan. 6, 2025

“In neither poll is he in positive territory, but it’s relatively normal for politicians to be slightly unpopular these days,” Blake wrote.

The columnist also pointed to new Wall Street Journal polls Friday showing the Ohio senator's numbers in seven key swing states split at 41-44 — "not much different from Walz’s 40-40 split.”

Another recent state poll from the Post and Quinnipiac University indicated that Vance “is no longer the least popular candidate” among the two presidential tickets.

Blake concluded his analysis by noting that while “things could still change as the debate fades in people’s memories,” Vance is still more unpopular “than the vast majority of recent running mates," who like his Democratic counterpart – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – "are generally viewed favorably.”

“But for now, the large gap in views of the two running mates appears to have shrunk, and Vance isn’t really looking like much of a liability in the all-important swing states,” Blake said.