WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Joe Biden enjoys significant double-digit leads over Bernie Sanders in Arizona and Ohio, according to a pair of NBC News/Marist polls taken of those two states ahead of their Democratic presidential primaries Tuesday.
In Arizona, which awards 67 pledged delegates, Biden is ahead of Sanders by 17 points among likely Democratic primary voters, 53 percent to 36 percent.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, gets support from 1 percent, while 3 percent say they’re undecided and another 7 percent pick someone else.
Among the 58 percent of likely Democratic primary voters in Arizona who say they’ve already voted, Biden is up 20 points, 53 percent to 33 percent.
Among voters who have yet to cast a ballot, Biden’s lead is 14 points, 53 percent to 39 percent.
In Ohio, which awards 136 pledged delegates, Biden’s advantage over Sanders is 23 points, 58 percent to 35 percent, while Gabbard gets 2 percent.
Among the 1-in-7 likely Democratic primary voters in Ohio who say they’ve already voted, Biden is ahead 57 percent to 36 percent, and he has the edge among those who have yet to vote, 59 percent to 34 percent.
Two additional states hold their primaries Tuesday: Florida and Illinois.
Looking ahead to the general election in Arizona and Ohio
Turning to the general election in Arizona, President Donald Trump’s job rating among registered voters in the state is 48 percent approve, 46 percent disapprove.
In a hypothetical general election matchup in the state, Biden leads Trump by 1 point among registered voters, 47 percent to 46 percent — which is in within the poll’s margin of error.
The president, however, is ahead of Sanders by 3 points, 48 percent to 45 percent.
In Ohio, Trump’s approval rating among registered voters is 46 percent approve, 48 percent disapprove.
And Biden leads the president by 4 points in the Buckeye State, 49 percent to 45 percent, while Sanders is ahead by 2 points, 48 percent to 46 percent.
Democrats are ahead in Arizona’s Senate race
Finally, the NBC News/Marist poll of Arizona shows former astronaut Mark Kelly, a Democrat, leading appointed Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., by 3 points in the state’s competitive Senate race.
Kelly gets support from 48 percent of the state’s registered voters, while McSally gets 45 percent.
The NBC News/Marist poll of Arizona was conducted March 10-15 of 2,523 registered voters (which has a margin of error of plus-minus 2.7 percentage points) and among 523 likely Democratic primary voters (plus-minus 6.0 percentage points).
The NBC News/Marist poll of Ohio was conducted March 10-13 of 1,710 registered voters (plus-minus 2.9 percentage points) and 486 likely Democratic primary voters (plus-minus 5.6 percentage points).
