Poll: Joe Biden has modest lead in Democratic presidential race

A new Quinnipiac University poll has former vice president Joe Biden with a slight lead in the race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

Biden was at 26 percent in the national poll, with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in second at 21 percent.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the only other candidate registering in double-digits nationally, at 15 percent.

Former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg, a late entry into the nomination race, is at 8 percent.

The numbers are consistent with the most recent Quinnipiac poll taken released on Jan. 13 that had Biden at 25 percent, Sanders at 19 percent, Warren at 8 percent and Bloomberg at 6 percent.

“After months of leading national polls, Joe Biden’s support is holding steady – but he no longer sits comfortably at the top of the Democratic presidential pack,” Quinnipiac University Poll Analyst Mary Snow said. “Bernie Sanders’ support breaks into the 20s for the first time, and Elizabeth Warren remains in third place. In their rearview mirror, small but steady moves are changing the line-up of candidates in single digits. There’s not much daylight between Michael Bloomberg, Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg as they are within a 2 point spread of one another.”

The poll numbers released on Tuesday also had Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar at 7 percent, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 6 percent, and businessman Andrew Yang at 3 percent.

There is room for movement, with 55 percent of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic saying they might change their mind about their vote, and of course that will happen, as coverage of the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses, and their aftermath, ramps up in the next few days.

Fun note there: 21 percent say the results of the Iowa caucuses will influence their decision about which Democratic presidential candidate to support, while 73 percent say those results will not influence their decision.

Sure, Jan.

Story by Chris Graham