In a recent poll conducted by Siena College for The New York Times, President Joe Biden finds himself trailing former President Donald Trump in key swing states, despite his administration’s substantial investments in rural initiatives. Biden, the leading Democratic candidate, lags behind Trump, the prominent Republican contender, by significant margins in five out of six identified swing states, according to the Times’ analysis of the poll.
The poll, conducted between October 22 and November 3, surveyed 3,662 registered voters across the United States, revealing a 4-point deficit for Biden in Pennsylvania, 5 points in Arizona and Michigan, 6 points in Georgia, and a notable 10-point gap in Wisconsin. Biden’s sole lead within the margin of error is in Wisconsin by a mere 2 points.
Biden’s struggle to sway rural voters comes despite his administration’s high-profile initiative, the “Investing in Rural America Event Series.” Launched on November 1, the series aims to showcase the administration’s spending initiatives in rural areas. During his visit to Dutch Creek Farms in Northfield, Minnesota, Biden highlighted the administration’s investments in rural and farm-specific programs, emphasizing the allocation of nearly $20 billion through clean energy initiatives, as outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act.
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“[T]hrough our clean energy initiatives contained in the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re investing nearly $20 billion…$20 billion; the money is there…to help farmers and ranchers tackle climate crisis through climate-smart agriculture and cover crops, nutrient management…and storing carbon in the soil,” Biden stated during his speech at Dutch Creek Farms.
Biden also pointed to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, characterizing it as the most substantial investment in rural America since Eisenhower’s highway plan. The law focuses on crucial areas such as roads, bridges, inland waterways, ports, regional airports, clean water, and high-speed Internet.
The Investing in Rural America Event Series involves visits by President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and senior administration officials to rural locations in several states, including Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has already visited rural Arizona to promote electrification efforts, and Deputy Agriculture Secretary Xochitl Torres Small has visited Michigan, according to a report by Politico.
One of the initiatives highlighted by Biden during his Minnesota visit was the ReConnect Program, an initiative by the Department of Agriculture aimed at connecting 300,000 rural households with high-speed Internet.
Despite these efforts, Biden faces an uphill battle in rural areas, raising questions about the impact of his administration’s investments on the electorate. The White House, Biden’s campaign, and Trump’s campaign have not yet commented on the poll results.
