Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has cut into Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton’s lead in Colorado and Virginia, two states which are thought to be solidly in her column, according to a new poll.
In the new Quinnipiac poll released Thursday, Trump trails Clinton by only 2 points in Colorado (44 percent-42 percent) and 6 points in Virginia (45 percent-39 percent). He also has taken solid leads in Iowa (44 percent-37 percent), which has shifted to support him in recent weeks, and Georgia (47 percent-40 percent), a solidly red state where Clinton has been competitive.
Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson cracked 10 percent in both Colorado and Iowa, while also winning 9 percent in Georgia and 8 percent in Virginia.
In the past month, Clinton’s lead in Colorado has nearly evaporated, while her lead in Virginia was cut in half. In Colorado, Clinton led by 10 points in Quinnipiac’s most recent poll in mid-August. The same poll showed her to be leading by 12 points in Virginia.
Clinton still leads in the two battleground contests, according to the latest RealClearPolitics averages each state. She currently tops Trump by 5 points in Virginia and 3.4 points in Colorado.
The new poll results come only days before the first presidential debate between the two candidates and after a rough patch in national and battleground polls for Clinton. Over the past month, Clinton has seen her a 6-point lead nationally cut to a 2-point advantage and watched her numbers in traditional swing states, such as Ohio and Florida, tighten dramatically.
