- Sen. Bernie Sanders is in fourth place in three different polls.
- Sanders spokesman says he is reaching out to disenfranchised voters to widen his base.
- Sanders is facing a much more competitive field than he did in 2016.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Senator Bernie Sanders is falling behind in new polls after the first Democratic debates.
What Do The Polls Say?
Four new poll results are now available, and they do not favor Sen. Sanders. Three out of four of the polls say that Sanders is now placing in fourth place. He is consistently behind Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
The Quinnipiac University national survey results are now available. Biden is polling at 22 percent, Harris is at 17 percent, Warren is at 14 percent, and Sanders is at 13 percent.
The Suffolk University survey has similar results. Sanders is only polling at nine percent support while Warren, in third place, has 13 percent.
The CNN national survey is aligned with these results. Sanders is polling at 14 percent support here. Warren has 15 percent, Harris has 17 percent, and Biden is at 22 percent. Interestingly enough, Biden has lost 10 percent of support since the debates, while Sanders has lost four percent.
Only one poll still has Sanders in second place. The ABC News-Washington Post Poll gives Sanders 19 percent support. Biden has 30 percent, Harris has 13 percent, and Warren has 12 percent.
What Could Be The Issue?
Sen. Sanders is facing a much larger field than he did when he ran for President in 2016. Back then, his only real competition was Hillary Clinton. Sanders served as a viable option other than Clinton and people wanted that. But the 2020 elections are completely different.
There are over 20 candidates running to become the Democratic nominee. Sen. Warren’s campaign is trying to paint her as the progressive leader of the candidates. Although they both have similar ideas, Warren has laid out plan after plan on how to implement her ideas. Sanders is currently lacking that.
There is also the fact that Sen. Harris had a breakout performance during the debates. She went after Biden on his past position on busing. This shot Harris up in the polls and brought Biden down by 10 points in nearly all polls.
ElectionOdds.com knows it isn’t that Sanders is viewed unfavorably. Most polls view Sanders in a positive light. But, he is going after the same base of voters as he did in 2016. That base is now thinning out with candidates like Warren in the race. The Sanders campaign said they are reaching out to disenfranchised Trump voters and those who aren’t politically engaged. They are hoping that these two groups will give Sanders the boost he needs.