More evidence appeared on Monday that Republicans are on the defense in what was once thought of as a solidly red state: Georgia.
According to a poll released from Public Policy Polling, 49% of Georgia voters said they’d pick Joe Biden if the election were held today, compared with 45% who said the same about President Trump, and 6% remaining undecided.
That breakdown is nearly identical to the unfavorable ratings for the president, with 49% holding negative views of the Trump and 44% saying the opposite. Biden’s numbers there remain underwater as well, with just 41% of voters saying they hold a favorable opinion of the former vice president. Meanwhile, 48% say they hold a negative view of him.
The signs were slightly more encouraging for the GOP in the Senate, if Rep. Doug Collins is the Republican nominee, leading Democrat Raphael Warnock 43% to 41%. The pair are running in a November all-party primary, in a candidate field headed by appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler. If she can claim a spot in the runoff, the poll shows she’s ahead of Warnock, leading 43% to 40%.
[Read more: Trump campaign defends poor position in polls]
The poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling and commissioned by End Citizens United, a liberal political action committee, from June 25-26. The firm asked 734 registered voters, and the poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6%.
In 2016, Trump won the state by 5.1%, with 50.44% of the vote, a significantly lower margin than 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney of Utah, who carried the state by 7.82%. Georgia last backed a Democratic presidential nominee in 1992, narrowly choosing Bill Clinton on his way to the White House.
The changing demographics of Georgia has led Democrats to believe it is now a swing state, citing the 2018 gubernatorial election where Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams lost by 1.4% of the vote.
