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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
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Biden Back on Top for Democrats in New Poll

On the heels of an impressive showing on Super Tuesday, a poll released Friday shows former Vice President Joe Biden is the No. 1 pick for a majority of Democrats nationwide. 

(CN) – On the heels of an impressive showing on Super Tuesday, a poll released Friday shows former Vice President Joe Biden is the No. 1 pick for a majority of Democrats nationwide.

The Morning Consult poll shows Biden, who just weeks ago was struggling to perform well in the earlier nomination contests amidst a crowed Democratic field, now the front-runner nationally in what has essentially become a two-man race. Biden currently enjoys support from 54% of Democrats around the county.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders meanwhile is the first-choice candidate for 38% of Democratic voters, 16 points behind the former vice president.

Just 2% of voters in the poll say they most support Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard – the only other Democrat left in the race – while 6% of voters say they support other candidates.

Biden’s lead comes after a number of former Democratic candidates, such former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar suspended their campaigns for president and threw their support behind Biden. This has largely been viewed as a rapid consolidation effort of the more moderate wing of the Democratic base, one that has seemingly benefited Biden’s prospects in the race and gave him a notable boost on Super Tuesday.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren dropped out the race Thursday but has yet to make an official endorsement.

Biden told supporters after his series of victories on Super Tuesday that voters are responsible for giving new energy to his campaign.

“Just a few days ago, the press and the pundits had declared the campaign dead, and then came South Carolina and they had something to say about it,” Biden told a crowd of supporters Tuesday evening. “We were told ‘Well, when you got to Super Tuesday, it would be over.’ Well, it may be over for the other guy.”

Sanders has also recognized these efforts to strengthen support for Biden’s campaign, with the senator claiming they are signs the political establishment is attempting to keep Sanders out of the White House.

“There is a massive effort trying to stop Bernie Sanders, that's not a secret to anybody in this room," Sanders told reporters the day before Super Tuesday. "The corporate establishment is coming together. The political establishment is coming together, and they will do everything. They are really getting nervous that working people are standing up.”

Despite these recent changes in the race, the kinds of voters that continue to support Biden and Sanders have not changed much at all. Friday’s poll shows Biden continues to do well among voters over 45, earning newly two-thirds of their support. Sanders, as has been the trend in the past, continues to do well with younger voters, receiving 57% support form voters under 45.

Biden has as also recaptured the lead when it comes to who voters believe is the most electable candidate. While previous polling data collected after Biden’s poor showing in New Hampshire had just 17% of voters believing he was the most electable candidate, 51% of voters today think he is the candidate that has the best shot at defeating President Donald Trump.

Sanders is viewed as the most electable candidate by 28% of voters, down slightly from 34% after his sizeable win in Nevada.

Democrats also seem to believe the results of the Democratic race so far have been honest representations of their party. The poll shows that 67% believe that the results from the nominating contests held thus far have fairly reflected the Democratic Party, and 62% believe the candidate who performs the best will be the nominee.

Regardless of which candidate ultimately wins the Democratic nomination, Democrats are still split on the outcome of the November election: 41% believe that Trump will be defeated while 44% believe he will win a second term.

The Morning Consult poll surveyed 1,390 Democratic primary voters and has a 3% margin of error.

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