Poll: Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by 6 points in Ohio; dead heat in Iowa

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton leads GOP rival Donald Trump by 6 percentage points in Ohio, according to a YouGov/CBS poll released Sunday that also shows an even race in Iowa.

Likely voters in Ohio prefer Mrs. Clinton over Mr. Trump, 46 percent to 40 percent, with Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson picking up 6 percent and Green Party contender Jill Stein bringing in a 2 percent share.

The poll suggests Mrs. Clinton’s support is slowly growing stronger in Ohio, a traditional swing state that is a key part of Mr. Trump’s “Rust Belt” strategy, as he courts blue-collar workers who feel they have been ill-served by global trade deals.

Yet Mr. Trump’s support in Ohio has stalled around 40 percent since May, while Mrs. Clinton has gained 2 percentage points.

Nine out of 10 Democrats support their nominee, while just under eight in 10 Republicans back Mr. Trump, who is trying to reset the race with a shake-up of his campaign staff and a softer tone on the trail.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said Mr. Trump has shown “maturity” on the trail in recent days, so the polls should tighten again over the homestretch to Nov. 8.

He said the real estate mogul still has a chance to sell himself to the American people, while voters already have made up their minds about Mrs. Clinton, a former first lady, senator and secretary of state.

“I believe that Donald Trump’s upside, is far greater than Hillary Clinton’s upside,” Mr. Priebus said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

CBS’ poll suggests Mr. Trump’s struggles aren’t affecting Senate GOP incumbents down the ballot, at least for now.

Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio Republican, enjoys a 7 percentage point lead over his challenger, former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.

In Iowa, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley leads his Democratic challenger, former Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, 45 percent to 38 percent.

The pollsters said that cushion may be cold comfort to the long-time senator, however, because 17 percent of Democrats and 19 percent of independents are still undecided, compared to 9 percent of Republicans, “potentially giving Grassley less room to grow as voters make up their minds.”