Poll: Elizabeth Warren Tops List Of Potential Joe Biden Running Mates

According to a new CBS News poll published on Sunday, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is Democratic voters’ top choice for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden‘s running mate.

According to the poll, 36 percent of voters think Biden should pick Warren. Sen. Kamala Harris came in second, with 19 percent. Fourteen percent of voters believe Biden should select former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and 13 percent say Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar should be on the ticket.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Democratic voters are apparently concerned about the direction of the country and believe that Biden’s vice presidential nominee needs to possess certain qualities.

Fifty-seven percent of Democrats say the former vice president’s running mate needs to have crisis management experience, 49 percent believe economic expertise is necessary. Thirty-nine percent say Biden’s running mate pick needs to have national security experience, and 37 percent believe the person needs to have legislative experience.

According to the poll, Warren appeals to white voters, liberals, and more progressive Democrats. In addition, the Massachusetts senator enjoys strong support among those who believe economic expertise is an important criterion to consider.

The survey shows that Democrats want a progressive or liberal vice president, but nevertheless believe a moderate would contribute more to Biden’s ticket. Forty-two percent of Democratic voters believe Biden’s chances of beating President Donald Trump would increase with a moderate on the ticket, and 31 percent say they would increase with a liberal or a progressive.

As CBS News notes, “As in the presidential primaries, Democratic voters here can also play political consultant, trying to figure out what the larger electorate might want in a vice president, instead of just what they want themselves — and there’s a bit of tension in that.”

Biden has vowed to pick a female running mate, which aligns with what Democratic voters want. In fact, 39 percent of Democrats think having a woman on the ticket would make it easier for Biden to beat Trump, while only 21 percent think it would be harder. The vast majority of Democrats — 74 percent of them — say it doesn’t matter which race Biden’s running mate is.

Nevertheless, the poll suggests that the running mate pick won’t make much of a difference in the 2020 presidential election. Only 27 percent of Democrats believe the vice presidential pick is very important to their vote, and 29 percent say it is somewhat important.

According to reports, Warren is not among Biden’s top picks. Klobuchar is reportedly the frontrunner for vice presidential nominee, but Harris, Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are also being considered for the position.