Sep 29, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Cook Political Report moves Ohio and Iowa from "lean Republican" to "toss up" in 2020 race

Orion Rummler

Photos: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images; Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Cook Political Report shifted Tuesday its 2020 presidential election outlook for Ohio and Iowa — two key battleground states that President Trump won in 2016 — moving them from "lean Republican" to "toss up."

Why it matters: It represents a further narrowing of the electoral map for Trump with only five weeks until Election Day, especially because Cook projects that neither state is currently a decisive tipping point for Joe Biden.

The state of play: A core reason that Trump is struggling in these states "is his narrowing margins with white, working-class voters," Cook's Amy Walter writes.

That same trend caused Cook to move Michigan to "lean Democrat" back in June.

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Cook Political Report moves Ohio and Iowa from "lean Republican" to "toss up" in 2020 race

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