Clinton well Ahead in Several Battleground States, New Poll Shows
New polls released Friday show Hillary Clinton with significant leads over Donald Trump in three key battleground states.
The NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls show Clinton with commanding advantages in Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia β and also a 5-point edge in vote-rich Florida. They were conducted Aug. 4-10, suggesting that Clinton's convention bounce has been sustained more than a week after she accepted the Democratic presidential nomination.
In Colorado, Clinton leads Trump by 14 points, 46 percent to 32 percent. In North Carolina, which Mitt Romney won four years ago, Clinton's lead is 9 points: 48 percent to 39 percent. In Virginia β home state of Clinton's running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine, Clinton has a 13-point lead.
Clinton's campaign and a supportive super PAC, Priorities USA, have at least temporarily suspended television advertising in Colorado and Virginia, as Clinton has built large and consistent leads in those states this summer.
The race in Florida, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll there, is closer. Clinton leads Trump, 44 percent to 39 percent.
Not only does Clinton lead in each of these states, but the polls also show Trump is a drag on GOP candidates downballot. In Colorado, incumbent Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet has a 15-point lead over his Republican challenger, Darryl Glenn, 53 percent to 38 percent.
In North Carolina, the poll shows Democrats ahead in both key statewide races. Attorney General Roy Cooper has a 7-point lead in his campaign against GOP Gov. Pat McCrory, 51 percent to 44 percent. And GOP Sen. Richard Burr trails Democratic challenger Deborah Ross for the first time in a nonpartisan public poll β though Ross' lead is within the margin of error, 46 percent to 44 percent.
The polls surveyed 899 registered voters in Colorado, 862 registered voters in Florida, 921 registered voters in North Carolina and 897 registered voters in Virginia. The margins of error are plus or minus 3.3 percentage points in Colorado, Florida and Virginia, and 3.2 percentage points in North Carolina.