Former President Donald Trump is holding a lead over President Joe Biden in six out of seven of the nation’s most competitive battleground states, both on test ballots that include third-party and independent candidates and in a one-on-one matchup, according to a new Wall Street Journal Poll.
The poll, reflecting dissatisfaction with the economy and doubts about Biden’s job performance and ability to serve, showed Trump with leads of between 2 and 8 percentage points in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona when the independent and third-party candidates were included, and by similar numbers with just himself and Trump, reports The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
In Wisconsin, Biden came out ahead by 3 points on both test ballots.
The battleground states’ ballot poll was conducted of 600 registered voters from each of the 7 states from March 17-24 and carried a 4-point margin of error.
In 2020, Biden took Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, all of which had backed Trump in 2016. He also won by narrow margins in Georgia and Arizona that year.
Nevada and North Carolina are also seen as being in play. Biden took Nevada in 2020, but Democrat margins have shrunk in that state. Trump won North Carolina in 2020 but by the slimmest margin.
