While presidential candidate Joseph R. Biden may be currently leading the Democratic field by a considerable margin, more than three-quarters of Democratic voters are open to considering a different candidate, a new poll released Monday found.
Mr. Biden received 32% support from those polled, more than double what Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont received at 15%. They were followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at 13%, Sen. Kamala D. Harris of California at 12% and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, at 7%, according to a national survey conducted by Park Strategies.
However, the poll found that 77% of voters are not placing their full support behind the former vice president, instead, expressing interest in changing their votes.
“Voters may be ‘dating’ Joe Biden, but they have not ‘married’ him,” said Chris Kofinis, a Democratic pollster and founder of Park Strategies. “While he enjoys a clear lead, there are simply too many Democratic voters open to changing their minds. Whether in the upcoming debates, or other events, it is clear that the Democratic race could change dramatically in the coming weeks.”
However, Democrats think Mr. Biden is the best candidate to beat President Trump, with 80 percent saying the former vice president is the most likely to win in 2020.
A majority of Democratic voters also said the Democratic presidential pool is too large, with 67 percent of Democrats saying the field of 24 candidates needs to be widdled down and 50 percent saying the large field makes it more difficult to choose a candidate that can beat Mr. Trump.
The Park Strategies surveyed 600 Democrats from May 24 to June 4 with a margin of error of 4 percent.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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