A Lubbock University opinion poll released on the 29th showed that the approval ratings of Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump were tied in Virginia.
This is considered a dramatic reversal compared to the 2020 presidential election, when the Democratic Party won by a 10-percentage point margin. In the match between Biden and Trump, they were tied at 42% each, and when other candidates were included, President Biden was ahead by 2 percentage points with 40% for Biden and 38% for Trump.
However, it is analysed that it is virtually a tie as it does not even fall within the margin of error (4.24%). This opinion poll is good news for former President Trump as the sexual harassment trial is ongoing and compared to the poll conducted at the beginning of the year, it recorded the best score.
A Lubbock University poll released just before Super Tuesday recorded 47% for Biden and 43% for Trump, and it was a time when Republican candidate Nikki Haley strongly attacked former President Trump. Meanwhile, in the 2020 presidential election, there was a large gap in vote percentage, with Biden at 54% and Trump at 44%.
In this survey, only 2% said they could not decide which candidate to support, and 14% said they would vote for a third candidate other than the Democratic or Republican party. When other candidates are included, the number of voters who would vote for a third candidate increased to 20%.
Third-place candidates include Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (8%), Jill Stein (3%), and Cornel West (1%). Meanwhile, in the question evaluating government ability, 44% said the Trump era was good and 33% said it was bad, while 25% said the Biden era was good and 47% said it was bad. This is a warning sign to President Biden ahead of the presidential election, and while 87% of Republicans support Trump, only 50% of Democrats support Biden.
The poll was conducted May 12-21 among 711 Virginia voters. Virginia, which has considered ‘checks and balances’ important, was classified as a ‘swing state’ that is not biased to one side but has maintained its blue (Democratic Party) colour ever since the election of Democratic President Barack Obama in 2008.
Then, with the election of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2021, it turned red (Republican), but is struggling as it lost the state legislature to the Democratic Party in the last Virginia general election. And this year, the competition between blue and red to take over Virginia is fierce again.