(The Center Square) – Former President Donald Trump appears to be chipping away at President Joe Biden’s northeastern blue wall with gains in New Hampshire, Virginia and now New Jersey, according to recent polls.
Amid mounting pressure from fellow Democrats for Biden to exit the presidential race, the latest polling from some key blue states may not be the news the Biden campaign longs to hear.
A recent poll of likely New Jersey voters shows Trump leading Biden 41%-40%, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 7%. The poll, conducted by co/efficient, a market research company, surveyed over 800 likely voters June 26-27 right before the presidential debate.
Traditionally a solid Democratic stronghold, the Garden State hasn’t voted for a Republican in a presidential election since 1988. There are 14 electoral college votes at stake.
A poll conducted in late March by Emerson College shows that New Jersey voters may have started drifting away from the president earlier, with Trump only trailing Biden by 5% (41%-36%) and Kennedy at 8%.
Trump was crushed there previously. In 2020, Biden won by nearly 16% (57.3%-41.4%). In 2016, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won by more than 14% (55.5%-41.1%).
In 2012, former President Barack Obama beat Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney by nearly 18% (58%-40.9%).
Another blue state bleeding is New Hampshire (four electoral college votes). The Trump campaign is eyeing the Granite State after a poll released following Biden’s admittedly subpar debate performance showed the Republican ahead by 2%.
The poll conducted by Saint Anselm College surveyed over 1,700 registered voters June 28-29. Trump leads Biden 44%-42%, with Kennedy at 4%.
The poll appears to show that the president’s debate performance may have been a contributing factor in trailing in the state. A May University of New Hampshire poll showed that Biden led Trump 44%-41%, with Kennedy at 3%.
New Hampshire hasn’t voted Republican in a presidential election since 2000. In 2020, Biden carried the state 52.7%-45.5%. Clinton in 2016 narrowly defeated Trump 46.8%-46.5%.
