Poll Shows Hillary Clinton Overtaking Donald Trump in Reliably Red Georgia
ATLANTA – A new poll by Georgia’s largest news organization shows Hillary Clinton slightly leading Donald Trump in a head-to-head matchup – a surprising development in a state where a Democratic candidate for president hasn’t won since Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush in 1992.
In recent elections, presidential candidates of either party have spent little time campaigning for the state’s 16 electoral votes, since it has been assumed to be a solidly red state.
The poll of 847 registered Georgia voters, released Friday by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, found Ms. Clinton winning 44% of those polled compared to 40% for Mr. Trump. The margin of error was plus or minus four points. A similar poll by the AJC in May had Mr. Trump ahead, with 45% to Mrs. Clinton’s 41%.
Friday’s poll also found that in a contest including Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, 41% of those polled backed Mrs. Clinton; 38% supported Mr. Trump; 11% supported Mr. Johnson and 2% were for Ms. Stein. The poll was conducted between Aug. 1 and Aug. 4.
For several years, Democrats in Georgia have argued that the state was shifting from a red state to a “purple” state, with more young people and minorities, who traditionally support Democrats, moving here.
But President Barack Obama only won 47% of the Georgia vote in 2008 and 46% of the vote in 2012. In 2014, Georgia Democrats launched a well-financed push to elect Jason Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, as governor and to elect Michelle Nunn, daughter of former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, as a senator. Those efforts failed, with each candidate losing 53% to 45%.
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