Biden up 7 points in Pennsylvania, Florida a dead heat: poll

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden leads President Trump by 7 points in Pennsylvania, while Florida is statistically tied, according to new ABC News/Washington Post polling.

Biden leads Trump among likely Pennsylvania voters, 51 to 44 percent, a decrease from the former vice president’s 10-point lead a month ago. Among registered voters, Biden now leads by 4 points, 49 to 45 percent.

The Florida survey found Trump with 50 percent support among likely voters to 49 percent for Biden. The incumbent held a 4-point lead a month ago. Among registered voters, the margin is now similarly tight, with Trump at 49 percent and Biden at 47 percent. The same survey showed Biden with a 1-point lead among registered voters last month.

The new poll showed slight increases in the president’s approvals in the two states. Fifty-one percent of registered voters in Florida said they approve of his performance with 47 percent saying they disapprove, unchanged last month.

In Pennsylvania, 52 percent disapprove of Trump’s performance while 45 percent approve. The gap between approval and disapproval was wider in the state last month, at 12 points, according to the Post.

Similar to nationwide polling, respondents in both states approved of the president’s handling of the economy but disapproved of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Fifty-eight percent of Florida respondents approved of Trump’s handling of the economy compared to 40 percent who disapprove. In Pennsylvania, 54 percent approve and 44 percent disapproved.

Fifty-one percent of Florida voters disapprove of the president’s handling of the pandemic compared to 47 percent approving. Fifty-four percent of Pennsylvanian respondents disapproved, including 52 percent strongly disapproving, while 43 percent approve, according to the poll.

Pollsters surveyed 810 likely voters in Pennsylvania and 824 likely voters in Florida from Oct. 24-29. The polls have a 4-point margin of error.