[S]ens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, along with former Vice President Joe Biden, are in a dead heat at the top of a new national poll of Democratic voters.
Sanders and Warren both lead the pack with 20%, while Biden is just behind at 19%, according to the Monmouth University poll.
Sanders is up 6 points compared to the university’s June poll and Warren is up 5% since that last survey. Biden, however, slipped considerably, falling 13 points in the two months.
Along with being in a statistical tie for the lead, Sanders is also ahead with 22% among voters of color — a voting block Sanders has struggled to attract in the past. Biden is in a close second with 19% and Warren is just behind with 14%. California Sen. Kamala Harris is fourth with 9% support among voters of color.
Sanders has consistently been polling in second place throughout the campaign season, and the Monmouth University survey is the first major poll to find Sanders leading the large pack of Democratic candidates since Biden entered the race earlier this year.
Sanders’ strong showing comes hours after he was endorsed by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America — which represent about 35,000 workers across the country — and the week after the Vermont senator announced policy proposals on climate change, reforming the criminal justice system and strengthening workers’ rights.
The rest of the Democratic candidates remained consistent with the June survey. Harris is ranked fourth with 8%, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey is at 4% and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is also polling with 4%.
Andrew Yang (3%), Julian Castro (2%), Beto O’Rourke (2%) and Marianne Williamson (2%) make up the rest of the top 10 in the poll of 800 adults which has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7%.
Biden, who has been the clear frontrunner for months, suffered a decline in support across all voting groups since June, most notably among voters aged 50 and over — from 42% to 33% — a key demographic that has overwhelmingly supported him throughout the election cycle.
Biden’s loss has been Sanders’ and Warren’s gain, with voters who previously supported the former vice president migrating their support almost equally toward the two progressive senators, according to the poll’s results.
“The main takeaway from this poll is that the Democratic race has become volatile. Liberal voters are starting to cast about for a candidate they can identify with. Moderate voters, who have been paying less attention, seem to be expressing doubts about Biden,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, in a statement.
“It’s important to keep in mind this is just one snapshot from one poll. But it does raise warning signs of increased churning in the Democratic nomination contest now that voters are starting to pay closer attention,” Murray added.
The Biden campaign dismissed the results, telling the Wall Street Journal that the Monmouth poll “is an outlier that is contradicted by every measure of the national average.”
The Monmouth University poll is one the Democratic National Committee accepts for candidates to qualify for the next debate which will take place in September. So far, 10 candidates have met the requirements before the Wednesday deadline.
