A new Washington Post-Ipsos poll reveals that former vice president Joe Biden is the favored candidate to become the 2020 Democratic nominee, among Black voters. Sen. Bernie Sanders comes in second.
The poll which was conducted from Jan. 2 – Jan. 8 surveyed 1,088 non-Hispanic Black adults, 900 of which were registered voters, using probability sampling methods. A range of ages and demographics were also considered. Among them, Biden walked away with nearly half of the votes, garnering 48 percent. Sanders trailed with 20 percent of the vote, overall, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren rounded out the top three.
On the question of who had the best chance at defeating Trump, Biden, Sanders, and Warren ranked similarly receiving 53 percent, 18 percent, and 5 percent respectively. If the data is correct, Biden’s favorability is in large part due to his service as second in command to the nation’s 44th president. When Democratic-leaning voters were asked, “does the fact that Joe Biden served as President Barack Obama’s vice president for 8 years make you more likely to vote for him?” 56 percent said yes.
While the poll pointed out clear favorites among the pack, it also asked surveyors to consider who they absolutely would not support if their primary election or caucus took place today. To that answer, Black voters leaning Democrat said they are not in favor of a Tulsi Gabbard presidency. Twenty-three percent said they definitely would not vote for her. They also weren’t feeling Mike Bloomberg or Pete Buttigieg. They received 17 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
The poll may be bad news for them, but Sen. Cory Booker got an ounce of good news. He ranked number five overall, and when voters were asked about who their second choice would be, he came in fourth behind Sanders, Warren, and Biden.
There is officially 21 days before the Iowa Caucus, which is taking place on Feb. 3. Iowans are the first in the nation to decide on who they will back as the 2020 Democratic nominee.