A poll by Quinnipiac University released Thursday shows former Vice President Joe Biden leads the Democratic field for president, with Beto O’Rourke rising to third place. South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg also climbed past established contenders.
The poll puts Biden, who has yet to announce a presidential run, on top with 29 percent of likely Democratic voters saying he has their vote so far. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., clocked in at second with 19 percent. In third with 12 percent is O’Rourke, making his first big move in the polls and climbing above Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.
Buttigieg, who has been gaining traction and notoriety in the media and throughout Democratic circles, rose to fifth, tied with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and edging out other well-established Democratic senators such as Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
“Hungry for a candidate to take on President Donald Trump, Democrats and Democratic leaners put the three B’s, Biden, Bernie and Beto, at the top in a race where age, race and gender take a back seat to electability and shared views,” Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll said in the statement.
The survey, which also included questions about various issues and figures in the Democratic Party, showed that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s favorability is falling. The New York lawmaker received a 23-36 percent favorable/unfavorable rating, with 36 percent of respondents saying she is a bad influence on the party.
The Quinnipiac University poll interviewed 1,358 likely voters nationwide via telephone from March 21-25. The respondents were interviewed by a live operator. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
