Donald Trump has surged to an 8-point lead over Hillary Clinton in Iowa by nearly quadrupling his edge among independent voters in two months, a new poll shows.
The Republican presidential hopeful leads Clinton 45 to 37 percent among likely general election voters in the Hawkeye State, marking a 3-point increase since Monmouth University last surveyed Iowa voters in July. Clinton’s lead has shrunk by 5 percentage points in the same period.
Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson draws 8 percent support in the latest poll, while Green Party candidate Jill Stein draws 2 percent.
Among independents, Trump’s lead has grown from four points in July to 15 points — 44 to 29 percent. The billionaire bests Clinton among voters age 50 and under, and is virtually tied with the former secretary of state among those above the age of 50 — a demographic that Clinton carried by 12 percentage points in July.
“Iowa is one of the few places where Trump has been able make inroads among voting blocs that generally support Clinton,” Monmouth University Polling Institute director Patrick Murray said in a statement.
A look at the U.S. Senate race in Iowa shows incumbent Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley leading his Democratic challenger, former Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, by 17 percentage points — 56 to 39 percent. Grassley’s lead has grown by 4 points since July, while Judge’s vote share has shrunk by 3 points.
The Monmouth University survey of 404 likely voters in Iowa was conducted between Sept. 12-14. Results contain a margin of error plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
