title:  New Polls Stun: State That’s Been Deep Red For OVER 20 YEARS May Become Key Battleground State
text: Republicans have long held the Deep South in their grip, but there are signs that may be changing. FiveThirtyEight.com is looking at Georgia right now, which has consistently voted for Republican candidates in every presidential election going back to 1992. However, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are virtually neck-and-neck there, and there are other races that show Georgia possibly turning purple this year.The Atlanta Journal-Constitution just released a poll showing Hillary leading Trump 41 percent to 38 percent. While that is within the margin of error for that poll, other polls likewise show a very tight race there. Trump is still favored to carry Georgia and its 16 electoral votes, with a 55 to 72 percent chance of winning, according to FiveThirtyEight s polls-only and polls-plus models, respectively. This poll shows a growing chance that Trump will lose there.Hillary would have a 59 percent chance of winning if the election were held today. Georgia doesn t have a huge chance of being the state that decides the outcome of November s election, but the fact that it has a chance at all is astounding, given the rabid conservatism there. With a Georgia win, FiveThirtyEight s electoral maps give Hillary 270 to 275 electoral votes even if she loses Ohio, Pennsylvania, and possibly Florida.It s not just the presidential race that s making Georgia stand out. Senator Johnny Isakson is struggling to keep his seat amidst a tight race with his Democratic opponent Jim Barksdale. Isakson only has a six-point lead right now, compared to his previous two elections, both of which he won by more than 17 points.Nationwide, another poll shows that more people favor a Democratic Congress than a Republican Congress. Six years of Tea Party obstruction, childishness and general craziness has likely soured people s opinions of the GOP, and the train wreck that is Donald Trump isn t helping. In fact, Isakson s race (along with Sen. Kelly Ayotte s and others) is confirming GOP fears that Trump s poisonous influence is starting to harm down-ticket races.Georgia s stunning transformation into a battleground state is due in part to its changing demographics. There s a swiftly-growing black community there, and the black community nationwide tends to vote overwhelmingly Democratic. Trump s shunning of so-called  political correctness,  along with his blatant racism, is probably amplifying that effect.Like what s happening in Utah, this is an interesting and surprising development. Georgia is well-known as a Republican stronghold. Now, it s further evidence that the GOP s stranglehold over many states is weakening.Photo of Hillary by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. Photo of Donald Trump by Alex Wong/Getty Images. Images merged by Rika Christensen