Poll: Biden leads, Warren surges in South Carolina

Former Vice President Joe Biden maintains a substantial lead over other 2020 Democratic candidates in South Carolina in a new survey, but Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) are gaining ground in the key primary state. 

Biden has the support of 37 percent of the respondents in the Post and Courier-Change Research Poll released early Sunday, down 9 points since launching his campaign.

{mosads}Warren’s support doubled from last month, however, with 17 percent of the state’s likely Democratic 2020 presidential primary voters now saying they would vote for the Massachusetts senator. Warren polled in fourth in the state last month with 8 percent of the vote. 

Buttigieg came in third in the new poll, with 11 percent saying they’d vote for him in the primary. Eight percent of respondents said they’d vote for the 37-year-old last month. 

The newspaper noted that Buttigieg received a notable boost in support from African Americans. Six percent of black respondents said they’d favor Buttigieg. He received no support from that demographic in May. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) fell from second to fourth place in the new poll, with 9 percent of respondents saying they’d vote for him. The percentage represents a 6-point slide from last month. 

The shift occurred as Warren gained ground on the Vermont senator among men, women, voters under age 50 and African Americans, the Post and Courier noted. 

Meanwhile, 9  percent of respondents said they would choose Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.). Five percent of likely South Carolina primary voters said they’d vote for Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), while 4 percent said they’d favor former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas). 

The Post and Courier-Change Research Poll was conducted between June 11 and June 14 among a population of 933 likely South Carolina Democratic 2020 presidential primary voters. The margin of error is 3.2 percent.