Biden leads Trump by 7 in Michigan: poll

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has a 7-point lead over President Trump in the crucial swing state of Michigan just days before the Nov. 3 election, according to a new poll.

The former vice president has 51 percent support among likely voters in the Great Lakes State, compared to Trump’s 44 percent in the ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Wednesday.

Biden also leads Trump among women, 60 percent to 36 percent, among moderates, 67 percent to 25 percent, and among independents, 52 percent to 37 percent. The only demographic in which Trump enjoys a slim lead is among suburban voters, 49 percent to 46 percent. 

Trump flipped Michigan four years ago, narrowly winning it over then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by less than a percentage point.

However, his handling of the coronavirus pandemic is proving to be his largest hurdle toward reelection in the Rust Belt states.

In Michigan, 56 percent of registered voters said they are very or somewhat worried that they or someone in their immediate family may catch COVID-19 and 55 percent said they disapprove of how the president has handled the health crisis. Approximately 53 percent said they trust Biden to handle it, compared to Trump’s 39 percent.

There have been 164,274 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan and 7,239 deaths as of Wednesday, according to the state’s health department. 

The new survey also showed Biden ahead in Wisconsin, leading 57 percent to Trump’s 40 percent.

It mirrors other polls released this week that show the Democrat leading in former “blue wall” states. One released on Tuesday found Biden leads by 10 points, 52 percent to 42 percent, in Michigan and by 9 points, 53 percent to 44 percent, in Wisconsin. 

The new survey also showed that Democratic incumbent Sen. Gary Peters (Mich.) has 52 percent support compared to 46 percent for his Republican challenger, John James. However, pollsters noted the slim lead is not significant because it includes virtual ties among independents and suburbanites.

The ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted between Oct. 20-25 among random samples of 902 Michigan registered voters, including 789 likely voters; and 906 Wisconsin registered voters, including 809 likely voters. The poll has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points among registered voters and 4 points among likely voters in both states.