Klobuchar moves up in Iowa poll of 2020 Dems

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) has moved up in an Iowa poll of potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, coming in as the fourth most-popular contender with the support of 10 percent of respondents, according to a Focus on Rural America poll first obtained by Politico. 

Klobuchar came in after former Vice President Joe Biden, who received 30 percent; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who received 13 percent; and former Senate candidate Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), who received 11 percent. 

O’Rourke and Klobuchar were new entries to the Focus on Rural America poll, which circulated without their names in September.

The poll found that Biden’s support dropped, from 37 percent in September to 30 percent in December. 

The poll surveyed Iowa voters likely to attend the Democratic presidential caucus in 2020. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) took a significant hit, dropping from 16 percent support in September to 9 percent in December. 

The other potential candidates to receive more than 2 to 3 percent were Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), with 7 percent support, and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), with 6 percent. 

Majorities of Iowa caucus-goers said they are seeking a candidate who will take the lead in the fight against climate change (90 percent), heal divisions in the U.S. (87 percent), and address the “high cost of living” (85 percent). 

Only 30 percent of those surveyed who said they caucused for Sanders in 2016 said they will stay with him in 2020. A majority say they are interested in campaigning for other Democratic candidates. 

Klobuchar and Biden found the most support from those who caucused for former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. 

The Focus on Rural America poll surveyed 500 registered voters in Iowa who said they were likely to participate in the Democratic presidential caucus in 2020. The interviews were conducted between Dec. 10-11 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.