Two recent Quinnipiac University polls have some good news for Senate Republicans.
In the battleground states of Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, and Pennyslvania, GOP Senate incumbents fighting to keep their jobs are all winning, outpolling Donald Trump by large margins.
Former presidential candidate Marco Rubio leads Democratic representative Patrick Murphy 50 percent to 43 percent. In North Carolina, Richard Burr leads former state legislator Deborah Ross 49 percent to 43 percent. In Ohio, Rob Portman holds a strong eleven point lead over former governor Ted Strickland, 51 percent to 40 percent. The closest battleground senate race is in Pennsylvania, where Pat Toomey holds a narrow 1-point lead over retired environmental bureaucrat Katie McGinty, 46 percent to 45 percent.
Presently, the GOP holds a four seat majority in the upper chamber and is facing an election cycle with more incumbents on the ballot than Democrats. Win or lose the presidency come November, a four or five seat swing could cost Republicans control of the Senate.
In a poll measuring presidential preference in the same battleground states, it’s mixed news for Trump.
In Florida, where Rubio leads by 7 points, Trump and Clinton are tied at 47 percent. In North Carolina, where Richard Burr leads by 6, Trump is down four points, 47 percent to 43 percent. In Ohio, where Rob Portman is up 11, Trump leads Clinton by 1 percentage point, 46 percent to 45 percent. And in Pennsylvania, Toomey’s slight lead is followed by Trump trailing to Clinton by 5, 48 to 43.
