President Joe Biden has cracked the 50% threshold among Pennsylvania voters and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey has stretched his lead over Republican challenger Dave McCormick, according to a new poll.
Harrisburg-based Susquehanna Polling & Research released its latest poll on Monday that showed Biden leading former President Donald Trump 50% to 45%, which would be the most support Biden has received in recent polling in Pennsylvania.
In January, Susquehanna determined that Biden led Trump 47% to 36%, so Trump has gained ground even though Biden has hit the 50% mark.
Susquehanna president James Lee said Biden is winning among independents and that Trump is “underperforming” in the solidly red “T” area — stretching from the Maryland line through the state’s center to the counties bordering New York — when his current numbers are compared to 2016, the year he won Pennsylvania.
“Trump HAS to match or exceed his 2016 margins in conservative areas of the Commonwealth in order to win, especially because Biden’s lead in the collar counties around Philadelphia is even larger than what he won this same area by in the past,” said Lee.
Even as his numbers climbed, Biden’s job approval rating remains abysmal with just 39% of voters approving the job he’s doing as president and 55% disapproving.
As for the Senate race, the poll has Casey leading McCormick 48% to 42%. That’s good news for Casey, who was leading 46% to 42% in Susquehanna’s January poll.
Susquehanna surveyed 450 registered Pennsylvania voters for the latest poll, which has a margin of error of +/- 4.62 percentage points.