Donald Trump remains competitive in Florida and trails narrowly in Ohio, but Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has surged to a massive 10-point lead in Pennsylvania, according to the latest Quinnipiac University Poll of the major swing states.
The survey, of likely voters in each state, found that antipathy continues to drive much of the election, with those backing Mr. Trump driven more by their dislike of Mrs. Clinton than their fealty to him. The motives of those backing Mrs. Clinton are more complicated but even there, many of them are still driven by opposition to Mr. Trump.
“It is not that her voters are in love with Secretary Clinton — they just dislike her less than they disdain Trump,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the poll. “In fact, among Clinton voters in all three states more than four in 10 say their opposition to Trump, rather than their liking of her, is the main reason for their vote. … Among Trump voters, well over half say they back him because they dislike her.”
Mrs. Trump leads among men, but Mrs. Clinton holds an even bigger lead among women, accounting for her overall lead in the three states.
In Florida, she is up just 1 percentage point, 46-45; in Ohio she’s up 4 points, 49-45; and in Pennsylvania she’s comfortably ahead, 52-42.
Adding in Libertarian and Green party nominees narrows the gap by 1 percentage point in each of those states.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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