Poll: Biden builds big leads in Wisconsin, Michigan

Democratic nominee Joe Biden has built up a healthy lead over President Trump in the critical battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan, according to a new poll. 

The latest New York Times-Siena College survey finds Biden with a 10 point advantage over Trump in Wisconsin, where he leads 51 percent to 41 percent. Biden led by only 5 points in the same poll from September. 

In Michigan, the survey finds Biden with an 8 point advantage, 48 percent to 40 percent.

Both surveys are in line with other recent polls that have found Biden pulling away from Trump both nationally and in the key battleground states that will determine the outcome of the election.

Biden leads by 5.5 points in the RealClearPolitics average of Wisconsin and by 7 points in the same site’s average of Michigan. 

Trump narrowly won both states in 2016, becoming the first GOP presidential candidate in decades to do so.

In both instances, Trump benefitted from winning among white voters.

The New York Times-Siena College polls find Biden leading by 8 points among white voters in Wisconsin. Biden trails by only 1 point among white voters in Michigan. 

The survey found GOP Senate candidate John James running ahead of Trump in Michigan, where he trails Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) by only 1 point. That race could have big implications for which party controls the Senate next year.

Overall, the Times-Siena poll has found substantial movement toward Biden across the six northern battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Iowa and Ohio. Trump carried those states by about 2.6 points in 2016, but the Times-Siena poll finds Biden ahead by 6 points across those states now.

The New York Times-Siena College poll of 614 likely voters in Michigan has 4.6-percentage-point margin of error. The survey of 789 likely voters in Wisconsin has a 4-percentage-point margin of error.