President Biden‘s Scranton roots are getting tested in his reelection push, according to polls that show former President Donald Trump pulling ahead of the president in his native Pennsylvania.
The latest AARP survey found Mr. Trump has a 49%-45% lead over Mr. Biden in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup in the key swing state, and a 46%-41% lead when third-party contenders who have qualified for the ballot are added in.
“Trump is ahead in large part due to more consolidated support from Republicans than Biden is getting from Democrats, while Trump also has a slight edge with independents,” the poll found.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent, was not included in the poll because he has yet to secure ballot access in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Biden defeated Mr. Trump in Pennsylvania in 2020 by just over a percentage point. The incumbent often points to his childhood in working-class Scranton as proof that he understands the struggles of middle-class Americans.
The president also has made numerous campaign stops in Philadelphia, with its friendly base of labor unions.
In 2016, Mr. Trump outperformed Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania by less than a percentage point, making him the first Republican since 1988 to carry the state in a presidential election.
For Mr. Biden, the AARP survey is yet another warning sign about his reelection prospects.
The Democrat also trailed Mr. Trump by a 44%-41% margin in Pennsylvania in the most recent Muhlenberg College survey, which showed 33% of voters felt Mr. Biden deserved another four-year term.
The poll also found that support for both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump dipped to 35% after respondents were given the chance to choose Mr. Kennedy.
Nearly six in ten voters had negative views of Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump.
At the same time, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr. was shown to hold a 45%-41% lead over his Republican challenger, David McCormick.
The AARP survey had a similar finding. Mr. Casey had a 48% to 44% lead over Mr. McCormick.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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