Joe Biden’s campaign launched a “Students for Biden” group the day after a poll found the former vice president is struggling to get a foothold with younger voters.
Biden’s campaign said Tuesday college students returning to school will “recruit, train, and empower” others to become fellow leaders and organizers within the Students for Biden program.
“Young Americans are the future of this country and the results of the 2020 election will have a significant impact on their lives and those of generations to come,” said Greg Schultz, campaign manager for Biden, 76.
For many college students, though, Biden’s time in office might as well be the distance past. Most were between grade school and middle school when Biden took office as vice president a decade ago, and then as President Obama’s second-in-command. A Monmouth University released Monday poll shows the Delaware Democrat only garners 6% from party voters ages 18-49, but he dominates the primary field with 33% support from voters over the age of 50.
The Biden camp pushed back on the Monmouth poll’s numbers telling the Washington Examiner it was an “outlier.”
Over one week ago, a Chegg-College Pulse poll showed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders leading among college students, with 29%, followed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren with 23%. Biden is a distant third with 10% support, while South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has 9%.
Biden fared better with younger voter support in back in June when a GenForward Survey, a University of Chicago-based poll that follows the political positions and interests of young people. The survey showed he and Sanders had strong support from voters of color under 36 years of age.
