In a closely contested vice presidential debate, Republican Senator JD Vance edged out Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, according to a recent CNN instant poll of viewers. Fifty-one percent felt Vance came out ahead, while 49 percent favored Walz, with a margin of error of +/- 5.3 points.
Interestingly, while CNN’s viewer poll showed a slight edge for Walz among its own panel of post-debate analysts, they criticized his preparation, ultimately favoring Vance’s performance.
CNN Political Director David Chalian clarified that this poll was based specifically on registered voters who watched the debate, and that it leaned slightly Democratic by about 5 percentage points compared to a national sample.
Chalian noted, “Before the debate, 45 percent thought Vance would win, and 54 percent favored Walz. In the end, it turned out to be 51 percent for Vance, showing he exceeded expectations while Walz did not.”
A similar sentiment was echoed in a CBS News flash poll conducted with YouGov, which showed Vance winning slightly with 42 percent to Walz’s 41 percent, having a margin of error of +/- 2.7 points. Seventeen percent believed the debate ended in a tie.
Notably, when asked about the debate’s tone, nearly 90 percent of CBS/YouGov respondents described it as generally positive, a stark contrast to the previous presidential debates featuring Donald Trump.
This story is still developing and will be updated as new information becomes available.