A new poll by the non-partisan Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI) reveals that President-elect Donald Trump garnered modest gains among Jewish voters in the 2024 presidential election compared to his performance in 2020. The survey, conducted between October 30 and November 8, showed Vice President Kamala Harris receiving 71% of the Jewish vote to Trump’s 26%. “Jewish voters continue to support Democratic candidates by a substantial margin, while Republicans have made modest gains in recent cycles,” JEI stated. The Democratic Party’s performance among Jewish voters in 2024 marked its weakest showing since 2012, with declines ranging from 4 to 11 percentage points over the last decade, depending on the survey. The poll, commissioned by JEI and conducted by the Mellman Group, highlighted denominational divides in the Jewish vote. Orthodox Jews overwhelmingly supported Trump, with 74% backing the Republican candidate. In contrast, Reform, Conservative, and non-denominational Jews strongly supported Harris, at 84%, 75%, and 70%, respectively. Support for Trump was particularly pronounced among Jewish voters who cited Israel as a key issue. Nearly half of respondents (48%) believed Trump would be more supportive of Israel than President Joe Biden, a notable factor influencing their votes. National trends reflected broad support for Democrats among non-Orthodox Jews, making them one of the party’s most reliable constituencies. However, the broader electorate saw significant shifts toward Trump, particularly among Hispanic voters, who swung toward the Republican candidate by 25 percentage points compared to 2020, according to Edison Research. Exit polls and state-specific surveys presented conflicting views on Trump’s gains. Fox News voter analysis reported Trump winning 32% of the Jewish vote nationwide—his best performance among Jewish voters and the strongest for a Republican since George H.W. Bush in 1988. Meanwhile, a poll commissioned by the Orthodox Union’s Teach Coalition suggested tighter races in battleground states, with Harris winning by only 7 points among Jewish voters in Pennsylvania and 8 points in New York. These mixed results have led to competing interpretations. Progressive Jewish group J Street praised the continued Democratic majority among Jewish voters, while Teach Coalition argued that Jewish votes are increasingly “up for grabs” in key swing states. Trump’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas emerged as a defining issue. A Pew Research Center survey found that 75% of Trump supporters believed he had clearly explained his plans on the conflict, compared to just 57% of Harris supporters who felt the same about her. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)