In a new poll out this week, 47 percent of Black women say they would back Joe Biden as the next president of the United States.
Global technology company Morning Consult conducted the Political Intelligence survey that interviewed 15,475 registered voters who said they would likely participate in their state’s Democratic primary or caucus. In addition to scoring big among Black women, the poll also found that the former Vice President was leading the crowded field of Democratic candidates with an overall 36% of the primary vote share. It’s a six-point gain since announcing his candidacy on April 25 and places him 14 points ahead of his closest opponent, Bernie Sanders.
Sanders, who lost the Democratic primaries to Hillary Clinton in 2016, also ranks high among Black women, garnering 18 percent of the vote. Rounding out the top three is Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif) with 9 percent. Biden, Sanders, and Harris also secured the top three spots among Black men with 40 percent, 21 percent, and 11 percent of the vote, respectively, going to the candidates.
For Biden, poll numbers seem to reflect that the news coverage around his “handsy” behavior or his handling of the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation of Clarence Thomas, as it involves Anita Hill, has not deterred his campaign. He continues to lead among all voting blocks surveyed and has a high favorability rating with registered voters.
The coming weeks will determine if Biden’s current ranking is a result of his campaign announcement or a genuine interest from the American people. Both Sanders and Harris saw similar boosts to their numbers after throwing their names in the race, but have since seen support shrink.