Biden takes Ohio lead in FOX poll
Published 8:33 pm Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Former Vice President Joe Biden is leading in the race for Ohio’s 18 electoral votes, according to a new poll from FOX News.
In a survey of 907 voters from Sept. 20-23, Biden led incumbent Republican President Donald Trump, 50 to 45 percent.
The survey found Trump had a five-point lead among men, while Biden led among women by 14 points.
Voters said they preferred Biden on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, policing and criminal justice, and nominating the next Supreme Court justice, while Trump led on the economy.
The poll’s margin of error was +/- 3 percent. Interviews were conducted after the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but before Trump’s announcement of his pick for her seat, Amy Coney Barrett.
The Democratic nominee’s lead was more significant than other recent polling, which had the race deadlocked or within the margin of error.
A poll last week by Baldwin-Wallace University had found Biden up by one point, within its margin of error, while a Quinnipiac survey had Biden leading Trump, 48-47 percent.
As a result, Nate Silver, political forecaster for 538.com, now puts the state slightly in Biden’s column, but ranks it as “toss up” status. Silver says Biden has a 51 in 100 chance of winning the Buckeye state, compared to Trump’s 49 in 100 chances. His forecast last week gave Trump a slight edge.
Ohio voted for Trump over Democratic former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, 52-44 percent.
The state, the site of the first presidential debate and which is again a battleground this year, has a history of picking presidential winners. Since 1944, only one candidate, Democrat John F. Kennedy in 1960, has won the presidency without carrying Ohio.
The general election is set for Nov. 3.