Updates to our Terms of Use

We are updating our Terms of Use. Please carefully review the updated Terms before proceeding to our website.

Monday, March 18, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Buttigieg Surges and Biden Stumbles in Iowa Poll

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg surged in Iowa while former Vice President Joe Biden held on to a narrow lead among 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls, according to a poll released Monday.

[gallery type="rectangular" link="file" size="large" ids="509009,510240"]

(CN) – South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg surged in Iowa while former Vice President Joe Biden held on to a narrow lead among 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls, according to a poll released Monday.

The Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll found Buttigieg has jumped to third place in Iowa, the first state in the county to vote in the 2020 primaries in the form of caucuses. Buttigieg now enjoys 13% among Democratic caucusgoers, a seven-point jump for the mayor from a previous Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll in June.

Biden continues to narrowly lead the pack of Democratic candidates at 18%, only one point ahead of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. These numbers mark a sizeable drop for Biden in the Hawkeye State compared to previous polling data that him leading his rivals by double digits.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders nailed down fourth place with 9% support among Iowa caucusgoers, a number unchanged from his standing in June. Businessman Tom Steyer rounds out the top five at 3%.

But the poll also shows 29% of Iowa Democrats remain undecided on which candidate to support, up eight points from June. David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk Political Research Center, says that suggests the contest for the state of Iowa is far from settled.

"Iowa is unquestionably up for grabs. (Buttigieg) has found a lane and is accelerating toward the front of the pack, surpassing Bernie Sanders. All of this is happening while the number of undecided voters continues to grow as Democratic caucusgoers pause to reevaluate the changing field,” Paleologos said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the poll also suggests support for the impeachment of President Donald Trump has spiked since the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives launched an official inquiry into the president over possible quid pro quo during a phone call with the president of Ukraine this past summer. The poll shows that over half of voters (52%) believe it is important to support a Democratic presidential candidate who favors Trump’s impeachment – up 11 points since June.

Follow @@CarsonAndLloyd
Categories / Politics

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Loading...