KEY POINTS

  • Joe Biden now leads President Donald Trump in the key battleground states of Arizona, North Carolina and Wisconsin
  • Likely voters in these states say Biden will be better at Trump in maintaining law and order, handling pandemic
  • The three states voted for Trump in 2016 but could be on the verge of turning blue

President Donald Trump's gloom-and-doom message about Democratic challenger Joe Biden doesn't seem to be resonating with voters in Arizona, North Carolina and Wisconsin -- states he won in 2016.

Voters also say Biden will do a better job of bringing about peace and order compared to Trump. Suburban women in all three states trust Biden over Trump to better handle the COVID-19 pandemic and in policing and criminal justice. Trump's law and order message is mostly being directed at suburban women, a key and traditionally Democratic demographic.

These post-convention findings from the latest statewide polls by Fox News released Wednesday revealed almost the same general findings as the Morning Consult statewide polls released the previous day. Both surveys were conducted after Democrats and Republicans ended their respective national conventions.

In the Fox News poll, likely voters in Arizona prefer Biden over Trump 49% to 40%. Biden maintained his already sizeable leads among women and suburban voters, seniors, Blacks and Hispanics. A majority (56%) disapproves of the job Trump is doing as president compared to 43% who approve.

Arizona voters still trust Biden more than Trump to handle policing and criminal justice, this time by a five-percentage point margin. They also give Biden a 17-point edge over Trump in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump is statistically tied with Biden as to who can better manage the economy. Democrats are also more enthusiastic about their candidate, with 92% of them supporting Biden compared to 85% of Republicans supporting Trump.

Among likely votersn North Carolina, Biden has a slim four-percentage point margin, 50% to 46%, which falls within the margin of poll's error. Whites support Trump by 23 points, while Blacks support Biden by a massive 83 points. Men favor Trump (2% over Biden), while women prefer Biden by 10 percentage points, including a 31% edge in suburban women. Rural voters choose Trump by 14 points while suburban areas prefer Biden by 19 points.

Voters see Trump as better in handling the economy (up 8 points over Biden) and dealing with China (up 5 points). Biden enjoys a nine-percentage point lead as to who can better handle the pandemic.

Biden leads Trump by eight points, 50% to 42%, among likely voters in Wisconsin. Women, who dominate voting in Wisconsin, favor Biden by a 17-point margin. Trump is statistically tied with Biden among male voters.

More Wisconsinites trust Biden to handle the pandemic better and to be better at maintaining law and order. They give Biden a 17-point lead in the pandemic issue and a five-point lead in policing and criminal justice. Trump and Biden are statistically tied on the economy.

US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has routinely worn a facemask in public as a way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and set an example for Americans, a sharp contrast with President Donald Trump who has largely refused to do so
US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has routinely worn a facemask in public as a way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and set an example for Americans, a sharp contrast with President Donald Trump who has largely refused to do so AFP / SAUL LOEB