Biden Leads Trump in Michigan, Pennsylvania: Campaign Update

(Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden has significant leads over President Donald Trump in Michigan and Pennsylvania, two Fox News polls showed.

The polls both found the presumptive Democratic nominee leading the incumbent president by 8 points in the swing states, which could have a decisive role in the November election. Fox found Biden ahead in Michigan 49% to 41% and leading 50% to 42% in Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania, 51% of respondents said they disapproved of Trump’s performance, compared with 47% who approved. The result was identical in Michigan. Trump narrowly won both states in 2016.

The polls were conducted April 18-21 and had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Nationally, Biden leads Trump 48% to 42% in the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Biden to Speak at Granddaughter’s Graduation (3:39 p.m.)

Joe Biden will speak at Columbia Law School’s virtual commencement next month when his granddaughter will be among the graduates.

Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, will deliver the speech virtually on May 20. Naomi Biden, daughter of Hunter Biden, the son of the former vice president, is graduating with a J.D. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016.

“Vice President Joe Biden is synonymous with public service,” said Gillian Lester, dean of Columbia Law School, in a statement. “His enduring and exemplary career as a leader, lawyer, and public servant sets an example for our students as they prepare to begin their own course as legal professionals.”

The graduation will be streamed on the law school’s YouTube page at 1 p.m. -- Emma Kinery

Puerto Rico Will Not Hold Primary on Sunday (3:12 p.m.)

Puerto Rico’s Democratic presidential primary will not take place as scheduled on Sunday and has been postponed indefinitely in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The vote, originally set for March 29, was first delayed until April 26. Charles Rodriguez, chairman for the Democratic Party of Puerto Rico, said he, along with the president of the Puerto Rico State Commission on Elections, chose to further delay the primary indefinitely while the pandemic persists.

“We resolved to remain vigilant and monitor the emergency situation, along with the governor and the Department of Health, before selecting a new date in the summer,” Rodriguez said.

Puerto Rico has been on lockdown with all non-essential businesses closed and a curfew in place since March 16. The measures are scheduled to last through at least May 3. The island had 915 positive cases of coronavirus as of Wednesday, a smaller number than initially thought after testing bungles led to some patients double counted in government data.

At least a dozen states have delayed their primaries or switched to all mail-in voting in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month, Wisconsin held an in-person election and at least seven people contracted the virus after the vote. Residents of of the territory of Puerto Rico are considered U.S. citizens but can’t vote in U.S. presidential elections. They still participate in the primary process, with 51 pledged delegates and seven automatic delegates. -- Emma Kinery

Floridians in No Hurry to Reopen, Poll Shows (2:59 p.m.)

A majority of Florida voters disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus, the latest sign his initial polling bump is vanishing.

A survey by Quinnipiac University released Wednesday showed that 51% of Florida voters disapproved of the president’s handling of the pandemic, while 46% approved.

Trump also did poorly in a head-to-head matchup against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who got 46% support to Trump’s 42%. The poll of 1,385 registered voters was conducted April 16–20. It had a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points.

The poll also showed low support for reopening the economy quickly, something that Trump has pushed strongly for in recent days. Seventy-two percent said the state should not loosen social distancing requirements before May. As of Wednesday, Florida had 28,309 cases of coronavirus and 893 deaths.

“The state’s stay-at-home order is scheduled to expire at the end of the month of April, but nearly three-quarters of Floridians are not ready to drop their guard,” said Quinnipiac analyst Tim Malloy. -- Ryan Teague Beckwith

Coming up:

Ohio will hold an absentee-only primary on April 28. Both Guam and Kansas have in-person voting scheduled for May 2.

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