Bernie Sanders Is Gaining Ground On Joe Biden With Black Voters Nationally, Says Poll
A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders gaining ground on former Vice President Joe Biden with black voters, the New York Post reports.
Biden leads among the crucial demographic with 31 percent support. Still, Sanders — who reportedly experienced a dip in black support after spotlighting his Joe Rogan endorsement — is not far behind with 29 percent.
The news is notable as in last year’s version of the same poll, Biden held a significant lead over Sanders that was as high as 30 percentage points. Given that Sanders is the race’s current front-runner and has outperformed Biden in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, the New York Post claims the data could bode poorly for Biden’s prospects.
“The new poll serves as a cautionary note for Biden as the Democratic primary race heads into states with more racial diversity than in Iowa and New Hampshire, where the first nominating contests were held,” the report reads.
Elsewhere, the poll found that the African American community hasn’t quite warmed up to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobucher or South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg.
“These are difficult numbers for Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar as regards their standing in the African-American community,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, who conducted the survey in conjunction with Democratic pollster Peter Hart.
As noted by NBC News, Sanders’ gain in black voter support is a “big deal” at this point in the primary. The publication noted that Sanders struggled in the 2016 primary states that had high black populations and lost every county in Mississippi, South Carolina, and Alabama.
“In fact, nearly eight-in-ten black primary voters picked Hillary Clinton over him, according to exit polls,” the report reads.
.@JoeBiden's entire electoral argument has been he is the most electable to defeat Trump and that he polls strongest among black voters.
1) New poll has @BernieSanders up 9 points over Trump; Biden up 7
2) New poll has Bernie and Biden even among black voters pic.twitter.com/LzILlwNhTg— Jordan (@JordanChariton) January 22, 2020
Outside of black support, Sanders has been doing well in national polls as well. As The Inquisitr reported, he leads in all 10 of the national polls released in the week before Saturday’s Nevada caucuses.
According to Democratic pollster Peter Hart, Sanders is the clear front-runner in the Democratic primary and has the opportunity to continue growing his support as the race continues.
Amid Sanders’ rises, moderate Democrats continue to worry. As reported by ABC News, House Democrats reportedly told the publication that they are scared of Sanders and his proposals, which include a federal jobs guarantee, Medicare-for-All, and the Green New Deal.
“They’re terrified,” said Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, who was the first House Democrat to endorse Buttigieg.
“Very few people see Bernie as electable,” Beyer added, despite polls suggesting otherwise.
