A new CBS poll released Sunday shows 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren taking second place behind former Vice President Joe Biden in some key primary states.
The survey shows the Massachusetts senator beating Bernie Sanders by at least one point–and she’s also right on current frontrunner Joe Biden’s tail.
“Biden is the first choice for 31 percent of voters in 18 early voting states, according to the survey, followed by Warren with 17 percent, Sanders with 16 percent and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) with 10 percent,” according to The Hill. “When Democratic voters are asked which candidate they are considering supporting and allowed to choose as many candidates as they want, Biden still leads with 55 percent, but Warren is closer behind, with 49 percent saying they are considering supporting her.”
New CBS/YouGov poll of 2020 Democrats in 18 early states:
Biden 31%
Warren 17%
Sanders 16%
Harris 10%
Buttigieg 8%
O’Rourke 5%
Booker 2%
Klobuchar 2%
[everyone else 1% or less]margin of error: +/- 1.5%https://t.co/CGy2a9hOVN
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) June 16, 2019
Sanders in trouble
This is not good news for Sanders, who has long been considered the indomitable second place challenger to Biden, with many observers seeing the primaries as likely be a race between the two men.
Sanders has been seen as the “democratic socialist” vanguard who might capture the votes of young, hard-left voters, who generally don’t care for Biden, while also have crossover appeal to working class and independent Democrats.
But now, at least according to this poll, Warren seems to be the progressive candidate who is surging.
And President Donald Trump is taking notice.
Politico reports that Trump’s 2020 campaign is now looking at Warren as a primary target.
“Trump aides and their allies at the Republican National Committee, who initially believed their money and manpower were better focused elsewhere, are digging up opposition research, deploying camera-wielding trackers, and preparing to brand Warren as a liberal extremist,” Politico reports. “The reassessment of Warren, confirmed in conversations with more than a half-dozen Trump advisers, reflects the volatility of the massive Democratic primary and how the reelection campaign is reacting to it.”
Biden leads CBS News Battleground Tracker poll — with Warren, Harris and Sanders close behind https://t.co/q7mnzykezg pic.twitter.com/j95XGRALGK
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 16, 2019
Trump becoming concerned about Warren
Trump’s camp is reportedly concerned that Warren is smartly massaging her messaging to still include the socialist rhetoric popular with her party’s youth base, but also appealing to “Rust Belt” blue-collar Democrats who voted for Trump in 2016.
“There’s no question that Elizabeth Warren is on the move, has momentum and could well end up as our opponent,” a Trump campaign spokesperson told Politico. “We have to make sure voters know about her proposals for government takeover of health care, free health care for illegal immigrants, radical environmental restrictions, and increased taxes — all proposals that will devastate this country.”
Donald Trump won in 2016 because he came out victorious in states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that the Democrats took for granted. Will Elizabeth Warren have the right message to repackage the Democratic Party and take those states – and the White House – back?