SOURCE: Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll
URL:
http://www.qu.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/2016-presidential-swing-state-polls/release-detail?ReleaseID=2366
Republican incumbent senators have solid leads over Democratic challengers in the key swing states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to a Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll released today.
Noteworthy is Ohio where former Gov. Ted Strickland, who had an early lead but now trails Sen. Rob Portman by 7 percentage points, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds. The Swing State Poll focuses on Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania because since 1960 no candidate has won the presidential race without taking at least two of these three states.
The U.S. Senate matchups show:Florida - Sen. Marco Rubio over U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy 50 - 37 percent, and Rubio leading U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, another possible Democratic challenger 50 - 38 percent;
Ohio - Sen. Rob Portman over former Gov. Ted Strickland 47 - 40 percent;
Pennsylvania - Sen. Pat Toomey over Democrat Katie McGinty 49 - 39 percent.
"The numbers seem to be breaking the Republican way in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate, at least when it comes to the critical swing states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
"Democrats made fun of Sen. Marco Rubio when he opted for a last-minute re-election bid in Florida, but he may be on the way to a last laugh, having quickly opened double digit leads over both Democratic challengers.
"In Ohio, Sen. Portman had trailed for much of the campaign, but now has moved clearly ahead of Democratic challenger Ted Strickland, a former governor. In Pennsylvania, incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey, who has led from the start, maintains a double-digit margin."
"Many talking heads have suggested that with Donald Trump at the top of the GOP ticket, Republican Senate candidates might suffer," Brown added. "But at least in these three key states, the Republican Senate candidates are running ahead of Trump and don't seem to be hurt by their shared party label."
President Barack Obama is under water with negative job approval ratings in each state, tumbling from improved approval ratings in a June 22 Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll:
44 - 53 percent in Florida, down from a 54 - 42 percent approval rating;
47 - 50 percent in Ohio, virtually unchanged from his 48 - 50 percent score last month;
45 - 53 percent in Pennsylvania, down from his 51 - 47 percent approval in June.
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