Poll: Biden has 7-point lead over 2020 field, Warren follows in second place

Former Vice President Joe Biden has a 7-point lead over the Democratic presidential primary field, according to a new Economist/YouGov poll released Wednesday, retaining his lead compared to the previous survey.

Biden is the first choice for 25 percent of those who say they intend to vote in their state’s primary or caucus, the latest poll showed.

He is followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who garners the support of 18 percent of voters, and then Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is in third place with 13 percent support.

The top three spots remained the same when compared to the previous Economist/YouGov poll conducted on July 14-16.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg round out the top five with 9 percent and 6 percent, respectively, in the most recent poll.

Biden maintained his primary lead by posting strong showings among key demographics for his campaign, including older voters and African Americans.

Biden gets the highest support among voters aged 45-64 with 29 percent and voters aged 65 and older with 43 percent. He also gets the support of 46 percent of black voters, while no other candidate breaks double digits with that demographic group.

Biden is also the first choice for both male and female voters, getting 25 percent support from each group.

But the former vice president continues to fall behind among younger voters, getting 9 percent support among voters aged 18-29, compared with 24 percent for Sanders and 19 percent for Warren.

The former vice president has consistently polled at the top of national and statewide primary surveys, though his lead has shrunk following last month’s Democratic debate. In the meantime, Warren has enjoyed a boost of support after a strong debate performance and the unveiling of a slate of detailed policy proposals, leapfrogging Sanders in a handful of polls but not all.

The Economist/YouGov poll surveyed 1212 registered voters from July 21-23 and has a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percent.