Poll: Biden leads Trump nationally and in North Carolina

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden leads President Trump nationally and in the swing state of North Carolina, according to a poll released Monday. 

The Morning Consult poll found that the former vice president holds a 10-point lead over Trump nationally, 52 percent to 42 percent, and a 3-point lead in North Carolina, 49 percent to 46 percent. 

Biden’s lead in the national poll is not a drastic change from last week’s results, but Morning Consult notes it’s a larger difference than right after the Democratic National Convention in 2016, when then-nominee Hillary Clinton was ahead of Trump by 3 percentage points.

The former vice president’s favorability rating is tied for a record high at 51 percent, and his unfavorability rating hit a record low at 46 percent. In the meantime, the president obtained a 43 percent favorable rating and a 55 percent unfavorable rating ahead of his party’s own convention. 

In North Carolina, Morning Consult credits Biden’s slight lead to his support among moderates, 67 percent of whom said they will back the former vice president, while 26 percent are siding with Trump.

Among white voters with college degrees, the vote is split between Biden and Trump at 48 percent each. But the president maintains his lead among white voters without college degrees with 63 percent support. 

The polls come as the Republican National Convention began Monday and after the Democrats held their convention last week. In the past, conventions have traditionally given candidates a boost in support in the polls, but it’s unclear if that will translate to the mostly virtual events amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

For the national poll, Morning Consult surveyed 13,272 likely voters between Aug. 21 and Aug. 23 after the Democratic convention aired. The margin of error is 1 percentage point.

The North Carolina poll was conducted between Aug. 14 and Aug. 23, with 1,541 likely voters responding. The margin of error is 2 percentage points.