Biden is holding onto his leads in midwestern swing states — but barely


Less than two months from election day, polls are predicting a narrow win for Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
The 2020 race will largely come down to a handful swing states, including typically blue midwestern states that President Trump surprisingly won in 2016. Biden continues to hold on to most of those tossup contests and the national vote in a handful of polls released this week, with neither side of the race gaining a decisive advantage after last month's party conventions.
A collection of Morning Consult polls released Wednesday shows 11 states' opinions on the 2020 contest have remained consistent from before the conventions. Biden did build a few points of support in Michigan and Wisconsin, and even took over the lead from Trump in Arizona. Meanwhile Trump gained a few points of support in Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, though all these changes were within the polls' margins of error ranging from 2–4 percentage points. An NBC News/Marist poll out Wednesday meanwhile gives Biden a sizeable 9-point lead in Pennsylvania.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In southern states, including those that typically go red, the presidential contest remains neck and neck. Biden and Trump are statistically tied in Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina, while Biden has a thin 5-point advantage in Florida, per the Morning Consult poll. An NBC News poll released Tuesday painted a bleaker picture for Biden in Florida, giving the two presidential candidates equal standing as Trump wins over Latino voters.
Morning Consult surveyed 18,465 likely voters across the 11 states from Aug. 29-Sept. 7. NBC News/Marist surveyed 1,147 likely Pennsylvania voters with a 4.4 point margin of error.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
5 darkly funny cartoons about Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Cartoons Artists take on forcing famine, avoiding aid, and more
-
The easy elegance of Cap Ferret
The Week Recommends 'Elemental and otherworldly' destination is loved for its natural beauty
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?
Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein