A surge in optimism by Democrats over the prospects of Vice President Kamala Harris lifted U.S. consumer sentiment slightly this month.

The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index edged up to 67.8 after coming in at 66.4 in July. Americans’ expectations for the future rose, while their assessment of current economic conditions sank slightly.

The spirits of Democrats and political independents rose. Republicans’ sentiment fell. The survey found that 41% of consumers considered Harris the better candidate for the economy, versus the 38% who chose Republican nominee Donald Trump. Before President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and gave way to Harris, Trump held an advantage on the issue.

Joanne Hsu, the university’s director of consumer surveys, said she expects the index to bounce with changing poll results as the election nears. Consumers on both sides of the partisan divide say their economic outlook “depends on who’s going to win the election,’' she said.