Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson has started to be included in general election match-up polls, but the former New Mexico governor does not seem to be having a noticeable spoiler effect.
In the most recent national poll, when the match-up is just Clinton and Trump, Clinton leads by five percent. With Johnson included in the same poll, her lead narrows to four points. Similar results are found in other national polls.
In a Rasmussen poll released last week, Clinton leads Trump nationally by one percent, and the difference is the same with Johnson included. Johnson himself has stated before that he believes he would take voters from both Clinton and Trump.
The results are similar in state polls. In a recent Michigan poll, Clinton maintains a lead of four percent whether Johnson is in the race or not. In a Georgia poll, Trump leads Clinton head-to-head by nine points. With Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein in the mix the lead goes down to seven percent.
One state poll, though, does show Johnson taking votes away from Trump. This is in the heavily red state of Utah. Gravis shows Trump winning by 7 percent in a two-way race, and with Johnson in the race the lead dwindles to 3 points. This is one poll, however, and others don’t show similar results. Also, Trump did not perform well in Utah’s primary.
“I upset people in all categories, but I do say the same thing every time. And what I say, I think, is very pragmatically Libertarian,” Johnson said at a press conference earlier this month. He is more socially liberal than Clinton and more fiscally conservative than Trump.