Harris leads Trump by wide margin among Fil-Am voters, survey shows

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LOS ANGELES – Filipino Americans overwhelmingly support Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid, according to new polling released by the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and AAPI Data Tuesday.

It was the first survey conducted among Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) since President Joe Biden stepped aside in July and Vice President Harris became the Democratic nominee.

If the election were being held today, 68 percent of Filipino American voters surveyed said they would be inclined to vote for Harris, versus 28 percent who would vote for former President Donald Trump.

The survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, shows support for the Democratic presidential ticket among Filipino American voters increased dramatically after Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris as his replacement.

In the bi-annual Asian American Voter Survey (AAVS), conducted April and May this year, only 40 percent of Fil-Am voters said they would vote for Biden.

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During the same period, 33 percent of Fil-Am voters said they would vote for Trump. This number dropped to 28 percent in the latest survey.

Overall, the survey shows 66 percent of Asian American voters are inclined to vote for Harris, compared to 28 percent who are inclined to back Trump.

Survey highlights

• Vice President Harris’ favorability among Asian American voters has increased 18 points since the Spring. Tim Walz is far more popular as a vice presidential candidate than JD Vance.
• 62 percent of Asian American voters said they have a favorable opinion of Kamala Harris, compared to 35 percent who have an unfavorable opinion of the vice president.
• 28 percent of Asian American voters have a favorable opinion of Donald Trump, compared to 70 percent who have an unfavorable opinion of the former president.
• 56 percent of Asian American voters have a favorable opinion of Tim Walz, compared to 18 percent who have an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic nominee for vice president, while 26 percent don’t know enough to have an opinion.
• 21 percent of Asian American voters have a favorable opinion of JD Vance, compared to 58 percent who have an unfavorable opinion of the Republican nominee for vice president, while 22 percent don’t know enough to have an opinion.
• 77 percent of Asian American voters said they are “absolutely certain” they will vote in the 2024 election, up from 68 percent who said the same in the 2024 AAVS conducted in April and May.

Asian Americans have been a rapidly growing group of eligible voters in the United States over the past two decades, expanding by 15 percent in the last four years alone and turning out in record numbers in every federal election since 2016.

In 2020, a surge in Asian American voters in battleground states was crucial to Biden’s victory.

“These results reinforce what we’ve been hearing and seeing from the Asian American community since July:  they are re-energized and poised to once again play a decisive role in the election,” said Christine Chen, co-founder and executive director of APIAVote.

“It’s also clear that the major parties and campaigns are no longer overlooking or taking AAPI voters for granted, but instead making concerted efforts to reach out and engage them on the issues that matter most to them.”

“Asian American and Pacific Islander voters are poised to play a pivotal role in this election,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of AAPI Data.