Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., received bad news on Wednesday when an early poll showed her in fourth place in the key early primary state of New Hampshire, which happens to be a neighboring state of her Massachusetts home.
A University of Massachusetts poll released on Wednesday of likely Democratic primary voters found former Vice President Joe Biden leading the pack with 28 percent of the vote, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the 2016 primary winner, in second place with 20 percent. The survey found Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., in third place with 14 percent of the vote, and Warren in a distant fourth with just 9 percent of the vote.
To be sure, given that there’s about a year to go before the actual primary, there is obviously plenty of time for Warren to gain ground. Biden’s strong showing may be mainly based on name recognition, and it’s possible he won’t end up running. Sanders won in 2016, so clearly he is starting off with a certain degree of support. But for Californian Kamala Harris to have leapfrogged over Warren so quickly should be a cause for concern.
The Boston media market is a dominant presence in New Hampshire, so Warren should be well-known among the state’s likely primary voters. In the past, being from Massachusetts has helped candidates Michael Dukakis, Paul Tsongas, John Kerry win the New Hampshire primary.
What’s more, Warren only receives a tepid 12 percent support among liberals, also putting her in fourth place (Harris is at 20 percent). I mean, if there is any group among which Warren should be ahead, it’s liberals from a neighboring state who are clearly aware of her record.
Incredibly, 26 percent of those polled said outright that they would not be willing to vote for Warren, a number higher than any other candidate.
[Also read: Elizabeth Warren would declare national emergency for climate change, gun violence, student loan debt]
