Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden holds a 5-point lead over President Trump in the swing state of Wisconsin and a smaller one in Pennsylvania, according to a Reuters-Ipsos survey published on Monday.
In Wisconsin, Biden leads with 48 percent support, while Trump trails with 43 percent. Forty-eight percent of respondents in the state said Biden would be better at handling the coronavirus crisis, compared with 40 percent who said Trump would do better.
However, Trump polls stronger on the economy in Wisconsin. Forty-eight percent said Trump would be better at managing the economy, while 42 percent said the same about Biden.
The race is tighter in Pennsylvania, with Biden leading at 49 percent support to Trump’s 46 percent, well within the poll’s margin of error. Forty-eight percent of Pennsylvania respondents said Biden would be better at handling the pandemic, while 44 percent said the same about Trump.
The president led again on the economy, with 51 percent saying he would do a better job at managing it. Forty-five percent said the same about Biden.
Trump flipped Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in 2016, galvanizing support in large part from white, working-class voters. However, the states are back in play four years later. Biden and former President Obama won Wisconsin and Pennsylvania handily in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.
The RealClearPolitics average of polling currently shows Biden leading in Wisconsin by 6.7 points and in Pennsylvania by 4 points.
The Reuters-Ipsos opinion poll in Wisconsin was conducted from Sept. 11 to Sept. 16 among 1,005 adults, including 609 likely voters. The poll in Pennsylvania was conducted from Sept. 11 to Sept. 16 among 1,005 adults, including 611 likely voters. The credibility interval for both is 5 percentage points.