New polls shows Biden-Trump neck-and-neck in Georgia

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - The 2023 presidential election is still a year away, but there has been a lot of buzz this week about polling numbers.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution just released a poll that shows President Joe Biden has lost ground over the last three years after a Democratic victory in 2020.

Biden is neck-and-neck with former President Donald Trump. Trump was pulling 45% and Biden had 44%.

"I don't think it should surprise anyone that Biden and Trump are virtually tied in the AJC poll. This is a closely divided state," said Bill Nigut, political reporter, and host of the AJC/WABE program Politically Georgia.

Biden also is polling at razor-thin margins against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who are both vying to be the GOP presidential nominee.

Nigut says the findings the Biden campaign should find most concerning is his polling with independents. Only 30% of those polled back Biden's bid for a second term, while another fifth is undecided.

"He won Georgia thanks to independent votes last time out, so that's a figure that's got to concern them a bit," Nigut said.

Nearly two-thirds of those polled say the nation is on the "wrong track." And 56% of Georgians disapprove of Biden's performance. The economy is a major factor, with roughly half of voters saying they are worse off than they were a year ago.

"When that large a percentage of people say the country is on the wrong track, that is typically a bad sign for the incumbent, so I do think it is another sign that the Biden campaign is going to have to look at very carefully to see how they turn that perception around," said Nigut.

The poll shows Biden and Trump are equally unpopular with both candidates polling at a little over 50% with unfavorable reviews.