Biden leads in early voting states, followed by Warren, Sanders: poll

Former Vice President Joe Biden leads among 2020 Democratic candidates in early voting states, according to a new CBS poll, with Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) placing second and third, respectively.

Biden is the first choice for 31 percent of voters in 18 early voting states, according to the survey, followed by Warren with 17 percent, Sanders with 16 percent and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) with 10 percent.

{mosads}When Democratic voters are asked which candidate they are considering supporting and allowed to choose as many candidates as they want, Biden still leads with 55 percent, but Warren is closer behind, with 49 percent saying they are considering supporting her.

Harris follows with 45 percent, Sanders with 43 percent and South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg with 32 percent.

In Iowa, Biden still leads, but his competition is closer for voters’ first choice. Biden is the first choice of 30 percent of Democrats in the first-in-the-nation caucus state, followed by Sanders with 22 percent, Warren with 12 percent and Buttigieg with 11 percent.

The breakdown is similar among New Hampshire voters, with Biden at 33 percent, Sanders at 20 percent, Warren at 17 percent and Buttigieg at 10 percent.

In South Carolina, the first primary state in which black voters are a major factor, Biden has a wider lead with 45 percent, followed by Sanders with 18 percent and Warren with 8 percent. 

Seventy-five percent of voters supporting Biden believe he would beat President Trump in a head-to-head contest.

The survey was conducted by YouGov from May 31 to June 12 among 16,624 registered voters in 18 states. It had a 1.5-point margin of error.