More Democrats want Biden to run in 2024; Harris top choice if he doesn’t: poll

After support for a President Biden reelection bid dipped earlier this year, more Democrats are now saying they’d back a 2024 run from the president, new polling shows. 

If he doesn’t enter the ring, Vice President Harris is their top choice in a hypothetical party primary. 

A new Morning Consult-Politico poll found that 59 percent Democrat voters think Biden should make another run for the Oval Office, up from 53 percent in August. 

In March of this year, Biden boasted a 66 percent reelection backing among Democrats, but that number fell to 51 percent in July amid low approval ratings. 

Now, the president may be climbing back into favor, with the share of Democrat voters against a reelection run dropping from 41 percent to just 35 percent between August and September. 

But if Biden doesn’t run, his second-in-command holds a slight lead over other potential Democrats in the party’s primary, with 28 percent saying they’d cast their ballot for Harris.  

Harris ran for president in the 2020 election cycle, but withdrew from the race and later endorsed Biden before becoming his running mate. She’s said she’ll “proudly” run with Biden if he seeks a second term. 

Next up in the new poll was Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has recently drawn more 2024 rumors, with 13 percent. 

Notably, support for Harris fell 5 points, from 33 percent in December, while support for Buttigieg climbed 2 points, from 11 percent in December. 

Lower down on the list was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) with 8 percent, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) with 7 percent, California Gov. Gavin Newsom with 6 percent and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) with 4 percent.

Ocasio-Cortez has evaded questions about a presidential run and even said she’s not sure the United States could elect someone like her to the highest office. 

Warren and Klobuchar were both 2020 presidential candidates. 

The new poll was conducted Sept. 23-25 and surveyed 751 registered Democrat voters, with a margin of error of 2 percentage points.