In a recent poll of registered Pennsylvania voters, President Biden is leading former President Trump by a significant 10 percentage points in a hypothetical 2024 general election match-up.
According to a recent poll conducted by Franklin & Marshall College, Biden has secured the support of 48 percent of the surveyed voters, while Trump has garnered 38 percent. Interestingly, 13 percent of the respondents expressed their preference for “someone else,” while 1 percent admitted to being undecided about their choice.
In the February 2024 poll conducted by Franklin & Marshall College, Biden’s lead has significantly increased compared to the previous survey. Previously, Biden was leading Trump by just 1 point, which was within the margin of error, with 43 percent support compared to Trump’s 42 percent. However, in the recent poll, Biden’s lead has grown substantially. Currently, 43 percent of respondents support Biden, while Trump’s support remains at 42 percent. Additionally, 12 percent of respondents expressed their support for someone else, and 2 percent were undecided.
According to the survey, third-party and independent candidates appeared to be impeding some of Biden’s momentum in Pennsylvania.
When Pennsylvania voters were presented with the choice between Biden, Trump, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., they displayed a greater willingness to consider alternative candidates.
In that scenario, Pennsylvania voters surveyed showed their support for Biden with 42 percent. Trump received 40 percent, Kennedy received 9 percent, and Stein received 3 percent. There were 4 percent who preferred someone else, and 4 percent who were undecided.
In the February 2024 survey, third-party candidates saw a slightly lower level of popularity. Pennsylvania voters showed their support for Biden, with 42 percent backing him. Trump received 37 percent of the support, while Kennedy garnered 8 percent. Stein had 2 percent of the voters’ support. Seven percent of respondents mentioned someone else, and 5 percent admitted not knowing whom to support.
Pennsylvania holds significant importance for Biden in the upcoming November election. Historically, the state has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988. However, it surprised many by leaning towards Trump in 2016, albeit by a narrow margin of fewer than 50,000 votes. In the 2020 election, Biden managed to reclaim Pennsylvania, but with a slim victory of just 1 percentage point.
Concerns are arising among Democrats due to the recent surge in popularity of third-party candidates. They fear that these candidates may draw more support away from Biden rather than Trump.
According to the polling average from Decision Desk HQ, Biden is currently leading Trump by 1.1 percentage points in Pennsylvania. On a national scale, Trump holds a slight lead over Biden by 0.7 percentage points.
The survey took place from March 20-31 and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points. When it comes to questions about a two-way match-up, the margin of error increases to 5.7 percentage points.
