A new poll released Sunday has President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden statistically tied in Ohio, a critical state for the Trump campaign’s path to victory.
According to the poll, Biden leads Trump by less than a percentage point among Ohio voters with 44.9 percent to Trump’s 44.2 percent. The poll was conducted under a partnership between Baldwin Wallace University, Oakland University, and Ohio Northern University.
A poll released by the three universities in March had Trump leading Biden by four percentage points in Ohio.
“Ohio is absolutely critical for Trump to score another Electoral College victory this fall. Early on, many thought Ohio wouldn’t be in play. Biden running dead even with Trump in the Buckeye state counters this narrative,” Dr. Robert Alexander, a professor of political science at Ohio Northern University, said in a press release.
The poll shows Biden and Trump with similar favorability ratings, though more Ohioans said they have an “unfavorable” view of Trump than Biden.
Ohio Democrats favor Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as their top pick for Biden’s running mate, with 47 percent saying they would like to see Warren as vice president. Another 41 percent of Democrats said they would like to see Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) as Biden’s pick for vice president, followed by 33 percent who favor Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
About 85 percent of respondents said they approve of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, compared to 50 percent who approve of President Trump’s response. Another eight in 10 Ohioans said they believe DeWine “acted at the appropriate time,” but just four in 10 said the same about Trump.
About 90 percent of those surveyed said they support the restrictions DeWine has imposed during the coronavirus pandemic, including the stay-at-home order.
“DeWine has emerged as one of the most proactive governors in the country, largely because he views preventing the spread of COVID-19 as a matter of life and death,” said Dr. Lauren Copeland, associate director of the Baldwin Wallace Community Research Institute. “He doesn’t sugarcoat anything, and he leans heavily on public health experts, including Dr. Acton. His apolitical, no-nonsense briefings have become Ohioans’ go-to source for facts and reassurance.”
Nearly all respondents said they are concerned about the state of economy, but 70 percent said public health should be prioritized over the economy.
“Despite protests over Gov. DeWine’s restrictions, a large majority of Ohioans support his policies and are worried about going back to business as usual too soon,” Alexander added. “Many are worried that others could spread the virus and not even know it.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Joe Biden” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
