Down-ballot Republicans have advantage as Biden drags down Dems: Poll

Down-ballot Republicans head into the 2022 election cycle with a 6-point generic ballot advantage amid President Joe Biden’s unpopularity, according to a poll commissioned by the Republican State Leadership Committee.

“The radical liberal agenda being pursued by President Biden and his allies in Washington, D.C. is sinking Democrats at the state legislative level in a number of key battleground states across the country,” RSLC President Dee Duncan said in a poll memo first shared with the Washington Examiner.

The poll, conducted by Cygnal via an online portal, surveyed 2,217 likely general election voters from Jan. 19-20 in 13 battleground states: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The margin of error is plus or minus 2%.

A number of the poll findings point to a favorable year for Republicans, including:
Just 34% said that the country is on the right track, and 62% said the country was on the wrong track.
Biden is unpopular, with 44% saying they had a favorable view of the president and 54% unfavorable. That is in line with other recent polls measuring Biden’s favorability.

In a generic ballot, Republican state legislative candidates outperformed Democrats by 6 points, 48% to 42%.
Top issues identified as important for those surveyed included the economy in general at 96%, crime and violence at 94%, and education at 91%. Republicans led Democrats when voters were asked who they trusted in state government to lead on those issues. Democrats slightly led on the issues of COVID-19, 44% to 42%, and voting rights, 45% to 43%.

“If state Republicans continue to run on being the last line of defense against President Biden’s failed leadership and promote policies that stimulate the economy and ease the cost of living, make their communities safer, and empower parents to have more control of their children’s educations, they will have a major advantage on the issues in 2022 in battleground states,” the memo said.