Poll: Older Arizona voters favor Trump

Arizona voters over the age of 50 are more likely to support President Trump’s policies and presidency than oppose them, a new Politico/AARP poll found. 

The survey, released early Monday, found that while Trump’s overall approval rating in the state hews closely to his nationwide numbers, it is much higher among older voters. There is also a marked difference between older and younger Arizona voters in terms of approval of Trump’s policy.

Among Arizona voters age 50 and older, 52 percent said they approve of Trump’s performance, according to the poll.

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Fifty-seven percent of older voters in the state also support Trump’s proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, compared to 37 percent of voters under the age of 50.

Fewer older voters believe the U.S. has a responsibility to accept refugees, the poll found, and more older voters believe Americans are obligated to speak and understand English. 

Trump won Arizona in the 2016 election by 4 percentage points over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Third-party candidates Jill Stein and Gary Johnson combined to receive slightly more than 5 percent of the vote in the state. 

Arizona could prove a key swing state in this year’s midterm elections. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) is not running for reelection. A field of three Republican candidates will square off in a primary, with the winner facing Democratic nominee Rep. Krysten Sinema (Ariz.). 

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election analyst, rates the Arizona Senate race as a toss-up. 

If the Senate election were held today, 42 percent of Arizona voters would support a Democrat, compared to 35 percent who said they’d support a Republican candidate, according to the Politico/AARP poll.

The survey also found that 41 percent of Arizona voters said they’d vote for a Democrat if House elections were held today, compared to 37 percent who said they’d support a Republican candidate.

The poll was conducted from June 29 through July 9, and surveyed 1,641 registered voters. Of those, 834 were 50 or older. Its margin of error is 2 percentage points and 3 percentage points for the sample of voters 50 or older.