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Trump leads Clinton 46-41 in new Ohio poll

Thursday, November 3, 2016

By Marc Kovac

news@vindy.com

COLUMBUS

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has jumped ahead of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in a new survey of likely Ohio voters released Wednesday by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Among 589 Ohioans questioned over the past week, 46 percent sided with the billionaire businessman, versus 41 percent for the former secretary of state. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, listed as an independent on Ohio’s ballot, was third with 5 percent.

The results had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Trump and Clinton were tied in Quinnipiac’s last Ohio poll a couple of weeks ago.

“The 48-30 percent lead for Donald Trump among [Ohio’s] independent voters is pretty overwhelming,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the poll, said in a statement. “Ohio has a large number of voters that the Trump campaign has targeted. The Buckeye State is full of those who feel they have lost their jobs because of unfair trade treaties and noncollege educated whites.”

Connecticut-based Quinnipiac regularly gauges the opinions of voters in Ohio and other swing states on candidates and issues.

Clinton was ahead in three other states included as part of the latest poll, with a 46 percent-45 percent lead in Florida, a 47 percent-44 percent lead in North Carolina and a 48 percent-43 percent lead in Pennsylvania.

“After a two-year campaign which has produced the most unpopular presidential candidates in American history, the election comes down – as it historically does – to a handful of swing states,” Brown said. “No one has been elected president since 1960 without carrying two of the key swing states – Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. And, this year, North Carolina has been added to the mix. All four of these key states remain close entering the final days.”

He added, “Florida, which has the largest cache of electoral votes, is a virtual tie and North Carolina is almost as close. Donald Trump’s strength is with independent voters.”

Among other results, Clinton was polling ahead of Trump among those who have already cast their ballots.

In Ohio, she held a 58 percent-32 percent lead among early voters.

In Florida, she was up 48 percent-42 percent.

And in North Carolina, she was up 58 percent-36 percent.