Obama holds narrow lead over Romney nationally, but polling strong in swing states

Mitt Romney and President Obama are shown campaigning on June 26, 2012. (AP)

President Obama is holding on to a narrow lead over Mitt Romney nationally but is performing better in the battleground states that traditionally decide presidential elections, a pair of new polls showed Tuesday.

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showed Obama and the Republican presidential candidate in a dead heat nationally.

Obama was pulling 47 percent, to Romney's 44 percent -- the president's lead fell well within the poll's 3.1 percentage point margin of error.

Still, the poll showed Obama leading 50-42 percent among swing-state residents. The survey interviewed residents in Ohio, Florida and 10 other swing states.

That state of play was echoed in a Quinnipiac University poll of voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The poll showed Obama leading 47 percent to Romney's 38 percent in Ohio, and 45-39 percent in Pennsylvania. Obama was holding onto a narrower lead in Florida, edging out Romney 45 percent to 41 percent.

The polls underscore the challenge for Romney as he seeks to reintroduce himself to voters following a grueling primary battle against a rotating field of GOP challengers.

Romney just wrapped up a bus tour of battleground states, and the president is expected to head out on a bus tour of his own. Like past presidential elections, the 2012 race will see the candidates spend much of their time in the battleground states thought to be most competitive.

The Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, though, showed various constituencies sharply divided over their candidate of choice. Among black voters, Obama was favored 92-1 percent. Among Tea Party voters, Romney was favored 94-1 percent.

Obama leads among women, while Romney leads among men.

The poll of 1,000 adults was conducted June 20-24.