Cook Political Report moves Arizona to 'lean Democrat' in Biden-Trump race
The Hill
The Cook Political Report shifted the presidential race in Arizona toward Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Thursday after a new poll showed the former vice president opening up a 5-point lead over President Trump in the state.
The election handicappers decision to move Arizona from its toss-up column to lean Democrat came amid mounting signs that the state is slipping away from Trump despite his narrow 3.5-point win there four years ago.
A poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and Cook Political Report out Thursday showed Biden leading Trump 45-40 percent, giving the Democratic nominee a more substantial advantage than in other battleground states like Florida and North Carolina.
The poll results track with other recent public surveys. The FiveThirtyEight polling average in Arizona shows Biden with a 4.8-point edge over Trump.
The KFF-Cook poll carries some troubling signs for Trumps reelection bid. Republican voters in the state arent as firm in their support of Trump as they are in Florida and North Carolina, with only about 73 percent saying they will definitely vote for the president in November. Another 9 percent said they will either probably or definitely cast their ballot for Biden.