Clinton Hits Key 50-Percent Mark, Leads Trump By 6 Points In New Head-to-Head Poll

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Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:14 pm

Hillary Clinton has a healthy lead over Donald Trump with just days until the first presidential debate, according to a new poll released Thursday by Associated Press/Gfk.

In a head-to-head matchup against Trump, the Democratic nominee hits the critical 50-percent mark and beats Trump by six points among likely voters. In a hypothetical contest that includes third-party candidates Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, Clinton maintains her six-point edge over Trump and beats him by a margin of 45 percent to 39 percent.

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The survey is the latest sign that public opinion is beginning to shift back in Clinton’s favor during a critical moment in the campaign. After several weeks of poor media coverage and closer-than-ever polls, some Democrats were worried that she was losing steam.

With more and more national data, including another poll out Tuesday showing Clinton up five, it’s clear that the momentum is in her favor.

State polling data also had good news for Clinton on Thursday, with the Democratic nominee ahead in polls from Wisconsin, Virginia, and Colorado. In states like Florida and North Carolina, must-wins for Trump, the two major candidates are locked in tight battles.

Fortunately for the Democratic nominee, state polling tends to lag behind national surveys, meaning her clear improvement nationally is likely to show up in swing-state polls in the near future. Her slight Electoral College lead could become more comfortable in the coming weeks.

As we inch closer to the first presidential debate and the key month of October, Clinton is likely feeling good about the current trajectory of the race.

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.