Polls show Trump trailing Biden in Florida and Virginia
(CN) – New polls from two southern states show former Vice President Joe Biden beating President Donald Trump if the 2020 election was held today.
Released Tuesday, the polls from Washington, D.C.-based Mason-Dixon Polling show Biden leading by 2 percentage points in Florida and 4 points in Virginia.
“Florida is a key swing state that President Donald Trump will likely need to win in order to get re-elected,” according to the Florida poll, which surveyed 625 registered voters between Dec. 11 and 16. “Currently, only former Vice President Joe Biden presents serious competition to Trump in the Sunshine State.”
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, as well as South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, all trail Trump in Florida, though he notably “crushes” Warren with a 9-point lead, according to the poll.
Trump leads the state in favorability and name recognition with 46% approving, though Biden is close behind with 45%. Buttigieg lacks in name recognition, with 13% of respondents saying they didn’t know who he is. Sanders leads the unfavorable category, with 51% of voters disliking the senator from Vermont.
Biden similarly leads in Virginia by 4 percentage points over Trump. The pollsters noted the once-red Virginia has trended blue more and more over the last decade, but their numbers showed Trump leads over the other Democratic contenders. Still, Trump lost the state in 2016, which doesn’t bode well for his 2020 prospects.
“Biden’s position makes him fairly likely to keep the state in the blue column if he wins the Democratic nomination,” according to the poll, which surveyed 625 Virginians from Dec. 12 to 16.
Buttigieg again leads the pack in lack of name recognition at 16% among Virginia voters, while Sanders has a similar unfavorable rating of 52%.
White men continue to be Trump’s core base in both states, while the Democratic candidates have more support among women and minority groups.