US election 2020: Key states that will likely decide fate of Donald Trump and Joe Biden
Joe Biden and Donald Trump
US Election 2020 Key States : Whenever there is any presidential election in the United States, battleground or swing states come into fore as these states cannot be termed as Democratic or Republican.
In the 2016 US Election, Donald Trump won six of these states, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Arizona.
However, polls suggest that Trump is trailing in all these states, even though margins are narrow in some.
Let's look at US election 2020 key statesthat will decide the fate of Trump and Democratic contender Joe Biden.
US Election 2020 Key States
Pennsylvania
It is a state where Biden was born, and a region that has seen decades of industrial decline.
Trump supporters are campaigning heavily in this state, with campaign team even going door-to-door in the suburbs to lure the voters.
Biden's big support will be big cities of the states, while Trump is expecting support from the state's rural west and conservative central areas.
Pennsylvania's suburbs and northeast will be crucial to decide which way the state is leading.
According to an average of state polls by the website RealClearPolitics (RCP), Biden leads Trump by 5.6 percentage points in the state.
US Election 2020 Key States:Michigan
Trump managed to narrowly win this state in 2016.
Michigan, also known as the Great Lakes states, is concerned about the state of the economy due to coronavirus pandemic and Trump's response to the crisis.
Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has continually clashed with Trump over issues related to coronavirus and the strict lockdowns in the state have angered conservatives.
Recently, a group of right-wing members was also arrested by the FBI for plotting to kidnap Whitmer.
RCP says Biden is ahead in Michigan with 7.2 percentage points.
US Election 2020 Key States:Wisconsin
The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton paid the price for not campaigning in the state in the last election.
To not repeat such a mistake this time, Democrats held their national convention in Wisconsin though the event was made online due to coronavirus crisis.
Both Trump and Biden and their Vice Presidential candidates Mike Pence and Kamala Harris have campaigned in the state.
Biden is leading in Wisconsin by 6.3 percentage points, according to RCP.
Florida
It is largest of all the swing states and a large number of retired individuals reside here.
The state's massive Latino voters will be crucial and polls suggest the support for Democrats has declined from the 2016 levels.
However, Florida's senior citizen voters are also moving away from Trump because of his handling of the pandemic.
Many experts say Florida is a Trump firewall; if he loses here, he will lose the presidency.
With a margin of 1.4 percentage points, Biden is leading in Florida too, as per RCP.
North Carolina
The state went with Trump last time but only with a margin of three points and both parties are wary of this.
It has a popular Democrat as the governor who has garnered a lot of praise for his balanced approach to the crisis.
Republicans held their convention here, though the event was majorly online.
According to RCP, Biden is ahead in North Carolina by 2.7 points.
Arizona
The state has been a Republican bastion for decades, but as the number of Latino community rose and with the arrival of liberals from California, the state's electorate can go either way.
Conservative voters praise Trump's efforts to control immigration and promise to build a wall at the Mexican border.
However, by heavily criticising state's late senator John McCain, who still is admired a lot in Arizona, Trump has hurt his prospects.
Cindy McCain, the late senator's widow, has also endorsed Biden for the presidency.
Biden leads Trump by 4 points in the state, says RCP.
Iowa
With a lead of almost 10 points, Trump won Iowa comfortably four years ago, but the race looks tighter this time around.
Currently, Biden is leading with 1.2 points in Iowa, as per RCP.
Georgia
Since 1992, no Democratic candidate has been able to win Georgia in the presidential race, but a lot has changed in recent years with a rise in Democratic support.
As per RCP, Biden is leading the race with 1.2 points.
US Election 2020 Key States:Ohio
Ohio has 18 electoral college voters, which is a major attraction for both the parties.
Trump beat Clinton by 8.1 points in the 2016 election, but polls show a tighter race this year.
With a narrow margin of 0.6, Biden is ahead in Ohio, says RCP.