Biden’s Victory May Hinge On Running The Table In Key Battleground Region

With a wealth of recent polls showing President Joe Biden trailing former President Donald Trump in Sun Belt states, it’s looking increasingly likely that Biden will have to win the key Rust Belt battlegrounds to secure reelection.

Trump is currently leading in the general election by 1.1%, and has consistently posted leads in almost every battleground state, according to RealClearPolitics averages. However, Biden’s polling has fallen more in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina, with Trump leading by 5.2%, 4.6%, 6.2% and 5.4% respectively.

But Trump’s Rust Belt margins are thinner, with the former President leading Biden in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by 0.8%, 2%, and 0.6% respectively.

If Biden is unable to make up ground in the Sun Belt, his path to 270 electoral votes may hinge on winning the Midwest.

Biden won six of the aforementioned seven swing states in 2020, including a razor thin victory in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, with 2.8%, 0.2% and 0.6% respectively. Biden also won Nevada, Arizona and Georgia with 2.4%, 0.3% and 0.2% respectively.

The president’s campaign has also targeted the Rust Belt in recent months, making campaign appearances in Michigan and Wisconsin and focusing his messaging on industry and infrastructure. During an interview in Wisconsin, Biden jabbed at Trump’s employment record, claiming “he’s never succeeded at creating jobs, and I’ve never failed.”

However, Biden has imposed environmental regulations on the automotive industry and began cracking down on the steel industry’s emissions. In Michigan alone, the automotive industry consists of roughly 29.8% of employees across the state.