Joe Biden’s grip on SC’s 2020 primary loosens as Bernie Sanders sees post NH bump
As South Carolina Democrats stare down two more weeks until the state’s Democratic presidential primary, Joe Biden appears to be losing his once-tight grip on the state, according to a new S.C. primary poll that shows the former vice president still in first place.
The latest East Carolina University Poll out Friday shows Bernie Sanders of Vermont with 20% support among likely Democratic voters in the Palmetto State, second to Biden’s 28% support.
California billionaire Tom Steyer is in third with 14% support.
The university survey of 703 likely Democratic S.C. voters was put into the field Feb. 12-13, a day after New Hampshire’s presidential primary. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
Biden has maintained a strong, mostly double-digit lead over his challengers in South Carolina since launching his bid last spring. But after two disappointing losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, his lead has slipped in the Palmetto State. Biden did not stick around for his own election night watch party in New Hampshire, instead choosing to fly to Columbia with his wife, Jill Biden, for a party kicking off the final stretch of the S.C. primary race.
But despite losing some ground, Biden still shows considerable support from the state’s African American voters, particularly those who are 55 years and older, who make up more than 60% of the South Carolina Democratic Party primary electorate, according to the poll.
Overall, Biden leads Sanders among black voters 36% to 20%, with Steyer in third at 17%.
Of black voters older than age 55, Biden leads with 49% of the vote, with Steyer in second at 9%, the survey shows.
Former New York City Mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg — who will not be on South Carolina’s Feb. 29 presidential primary ballot and who is putting resources in Super Tuesday states — is polling at 8% among the same voters, followed by Sanders at 7%.
Together, Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have 5%.
Among younger black voters, Sanders leads with 29%, Biden has 26% support and Steyer is polling at 23%.
This story was originally published February 14, 2020 at 6:55 PM.
