Democrats are sprawling to get Biden back into this race.
In a recent poll conducted by Emerson College Polling/The Hill, it was revealed that former President Donald Trump holds a notable advantage over President Biden in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania. The survey, which encompassed registered voters in the Keystone State, indicates that Trump garners 47% support compared to Biden’s 43%, leaving 10% of respondents undecided.
When factoring in the leanings of undecided voters, Trump extends his lead to 52% against Biden’s 48%. Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling, noted a disparity in the motivations of Trump and Biden supporters. Trump’s base is largely driven by issues (28%), personal affinity for the former president (27%), or disapproval of Biden (21%), while a plurality of Biden’s supporters (33%) are motivated by their disdain for Trump, with 24% backing Biden based on his candidacy itself.
Biden’s job approval rating in Pennsylvania paints a challenging picture, with a 17-point deficit—only 38% approve of his performance while 55% disapprove. Conversely, the state’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, enjoys a positive net favorability rating of plus-16, with 47% approving and 31% disapproving of his work.
Trump holds the advantage over Biden in addressing key issues such as immigration and border security (54%-46%) and the Israel-Hamas conflict (52%-48%). However, Pennsylvanians favor Biden by a considerable margin on the issue of abortion, with 57% supporting him compared to Trump’s 43%.
Concerns regarding the age of both candidates and Trump’s legal issues are prevalent among voters, with 58% expressing doubts about Biden’s age and 55% sharing similar concerns about Trump’s legal troubles. A majority of independents (61%) cite these issues as casting doubt on their support for either candidate.
The race between Trump and Biden in Pennsylvania is exceedingly tight, with Trump holding a mere 0.6 percentage-point lead in the latest RealClearPolitics average of polling data. The state’s 19 electoral votes make it a crucial battleground in the upcoming election, especially considering its history of swinging between parties.
Pennsylvania also features a closely watched Senate race between incumbent Democrat Bob Casey and Republican businessman Dave McCormick. Casey currently leads McCormick by a margin of 45% to 41%, with 14% of voters undecided. When leaning undecided voters are taken into account, Casey extends his lead to 52% against McCormick’s 48%.
This race has seen tightening since February, when Casey led McCormick by a wider margin. McCormick, who previously vied for the GOP Senate nomination in 2022 but lost to Dr. Mehmet Oz, faces an uphill battle against the seasoned incumbent.
The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters in Pennsylvania from March 10-13, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
