Joe Biden And Donald Trump Virtually Tied In Ohio, Quinnipiac University Poll Shows

According to a poll from Quinnipiac University released on Wednesday, President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden, are virtually tied in the state of Ohio.

Forty-six percent of respondents said that they would vote for Biden if the election was held today, while 45 percent said they would back Trump.

Both candidates received about the same amount of party loyalty, with 92 percent of Republicans saying they would vote for Trump, and 93 percent of Democrats stating they would support Biden.

Among independents voters, Trump came in slightly stronger. Forty-four percent of independents expressed support for Trump, while 40 percent backed Biden.

The poll showed that the Ohio electorate is deeply divided by race, gender, and education. Women, Black voters, and white voters with a college degree overwhelmingly backed Biden. A majority of men and white voters without a college degree expressed support for Trump.

Neither Trump nor Biden are particularly popular in Ohio. Forty-three percent of Ohioans said that they have a favorable opinion of Trump, while 53 percent said see him unfavorably. As for Biden, 42 percent of voters hold a favorable view of him, while 45 percent view the Democrat unfavorably.

Trump’s approval rating in Ohio has not changed much over the last 11 months, with 44 percent of respondents approving of his job performance and 53 percent disapproving.

The survey also showed that Ohioans trust Biden more than Trump when it comes to handling issues such as health care, race relations, and coronavirus. Trump came in stronger on the question of handling the economy, with 53 percent of respondents saying he would do a better job than Biden.

Both Republicans and Democrats reportedly view Ohio — which Trump won in 2016 — as a battleground state. According to Democratic strategist Aaron Pickrell, the state is “within reach” for Biden.

“People look at 2016 and they think that somehow Ohio became a totally red state… but I think the Biden campaign should spend here. We’re surrounded by two other battlegrounds in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and the same messaging applies,” Pickrell said.

As Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy pointed out, the Buckeye State has picked the eventual presidential winner since 1964.

“You have to go back 60 years to find an election where Ohio was NOT a lynchpin or a pathway to the presidency. That is why this very close horse race is so deeply consequential. The mantra in the backrooms of GOP and Democratic campaign headquarters has to be… ‘Don’t lose Ohio!” he said.