New Poll Shows Donald Trump Leading Hillary Clinton in Ohio by 5 Points

Donald Trump holds a 5 percentage point lead over Hillary Clinton in Ohio, according to the latest Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll. The poll of 589 likely Ohio voters also showed him opening up a lead with independent voters 48 to 30 percent.

"The 48 to 30 percent lead for Donald Trump among independent voters is pretty overwhelming. Ohio has a large number of voters that the Trump campaign has targeted. The Buckeye state is full of those who feel they have lost their jobs because of unfair trade treaties, and non-college educated whites," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

Brown added that Trump seems to have some sway over independent voters as Nov. 8 nears.

Trump's lead in Ohio is built on his 48-to-38-percent lead among men. Clinton and Trump are tied at 44 percent among women, a demographic her campaign surely thought she would dominate. Trump is also securing a strong party showing, despite all of the clashing with the Republican establishment, and leads 88 to 5 percent among Republicans and 48 to 30 percent among independent voters. Democrats back Clinton 89 to 7 percent.

Ohio early voters back Clinton 58 to 32 percent. Those numbers reinforce the campaign's strategy of hammering the prospect of early voting down Ohioans' throats. Clinton and her surrogates, including President Barack Obama, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Bill and Chelsea Clinton, have urged Buckeyers to rush to the polls before Nov. 8. The Democrat is likely hoping to bank an early lead over her rival and then eke out a victory on election day.

Trump squeaks out a tiny lead in the Ohio unfavorable race, with a negative 39-to-56-percent favorability, compared to Clinton's negative 37-to-59 percent score. Neither candidate is particularly well liked among voters, and Quinnipiac's findings reinforce previous polls that showed most Ohioans were voting against a candidate rather than for a candidate.

Third-party candidates Gary Johnson and Jill Stein received single-digit support. Johnson got 5 percent of the vote in the Ohio survey. Stein got 2 percent. For Johnson, it's his best performance in the four swing states examined.

To gets its survey findings, Quinnipiac surveyed 589 Ohio likely voters with a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points. Pollsters contacted these likely voters from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1.

The poll also took a look at Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

• Florida: Clinton gets 46 percent to Trump's 45 percent, with 2 percent for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and 2 percent for Green party candidate Jill Stein. Clinton edged Trump 48-44 percent Oct, 17;
• North Carolina: Clinton at 47 percent to Trump's 44 percent, with 3 percent for Johnson. Clinton squeaked by Trump 47-43 percent Oct. 27;
• Pennsylvania: Clinton leads Trump 48-43 percent, with 3 percent for Johnson and 3 percent for Stein. Clinton topped Trump 47-41 percent Oct. 17.

Photos from Rick Uldricks, Patch