--- description: The Clinton campaign is going on the offensive in Arizona and Texas, as the Democrat is performing better than expected there. title: Here Are the Unlikely States Where Hillary Clinton Is Polling Better Than Expected image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4c01282cca272212/6988aa4ba988ca05d46b9c6d/hillary-clinton-red-states.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2016 Election](/tag/2016-election/) ## 2016 Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here Are the Unlikely States Where Hillary Clinton Is Polling Better Than Expected by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 19, 2016 3:33 PM CUT  Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at a rally in Las Vegas on Oct. 12, 2016. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at a rally in Las Vegas on Oct. 12, 2016.John Locher—AP by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 19, 2016 3:33 PM CUT Hillary Clinton’s road to the White House may lead her through some some unfamiliar places, according to the latest polling from non-battleground red states. Clinton is performing well in a couple Republican strongholds where a Democrat is not traditionally expected to have a chance: Arizona and Texas. The Clinton campaign is [going on the offensive in these states](http://time.com/4533793/hillary-clinton-arizona-missouri-indiana/ "undefined"), buying ads and sending surrogates. The latest Arizona _Republican_ polling shows that [Clinton is ahead of Trump by 5% in the state](http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/10/19/arizona-poll-hillary-clinton-donald-trump/92339110/ "undefined"), up from a slight 2% lead in August. First Lady Michelle Obama, one of Clinton’s most effective surrogates, is scheduled to speak Thursday in Phoenix. In Texas, Clinton still trails Trump but she is [within 3 points](http://www.uh.edu/class/hobby/texas2016/ "undefined"), according to a University of Houston survey. Since 2000, every Republican presidential candidate had taken Texas by 11% or more, according to a note accompanying the poll. The Clinton campaign has even made a modest ad buy in the Lonestar State that highlights [excerpts from her endorsement](http://time.com/4482130/dallas-morning-news-hillary-clinton-endorsement/ "undefined") by the Dallas _Morning News_. Clinton’s lead over Trump nationally has expanded in October after two presidential debates and leaked audio of the billionaire making [lewd comments](http://time.com/4534216/melania-donald-trump-billy-bush-boy-talk/ "undefined") about groping women without their consent. The Democrat is up by almost 7 points nationally, according to a [polling average](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general%5Felection%5Ftrump%5Fvs%5Fclinton%5Fvs%5Fjohnson%5Fvs%5Fstein-5952.html "undefined") compiled by Real Clear Politics. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4536524/hillary-clinton-red-state-poll/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4536524/hillary-clinton-red-state-poll/"},"headline":"Here Are the Unlikely States Where Hillary Clinton Is Polling Better Than Expected","datePublished":"2016-10-19T15:33:08.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T01:16:45.519Z","description":"The Clinton campaign is going on the offensive as Donald Trump falters","url":"https://time.com/4536524/hillary-clinton-red-state-poll/","keywords":["2016 Election","Hillary Clinton","2016 Election topic","Polls"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4c01282cca272212/6988aa4ba988ca05d46b9c6d/hillary-clinton-red-states.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel White","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/daniel-white/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4c01282cca272212/6988aa4ba988ca05d46b9c6d/hillary-clinton-red-states.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Campaign 2016 Clinton","caption":"Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at a rally, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016, in Las Vegas. 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