In a surprise, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren leads Former Vice-President Joe Biden in the latest poll done by CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom of likely caucus-goers in Iowa.
The former vice president had been in a lead since he had announced his name for the candidacy of the US Democratic Party in April 2019. Joe Biden is running for the third time, he had previously run for office twice. Once in 1988, which saw the candidacy going to Micheal Dukakis and again in 2008, where again he had lost the candidacy to Barack Obama.
Elizabeth Warren’s numbers have surged over the recent weeks following the latest debate in Houston. She leads the latest polling data by 22 per cent, two per cent ahead of Vice-President Biden. According to a report on CNN, the Massachusetts senator’s numbers are a result of high favourability among the voters. She is considered to be either a first-choice candidate or a secondary option by many of the potential caucus-goers.
Bernie Sanders, the runner-up of the 2016 Democratic Nominations, saw a dip in his numbers with him losing ground amongst the caucus-goers. He had got 11 per cent of the polling data which is a cause of concern for the Sanders Campaign.
This is the first time since Biden announced his nomination for the candidacy that someone other than him or Sanders are in the lead. With the Iowa caucus due in five months, would lead to many candidates trying to change their strategy. The caucus is supposed to be held on February 2020.
According to a report in Vox, J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., which conducted the poll said, “this is the first major shake-up.” Iowa and New Hampshire have a history of supporting the underdog candidates in the election.
Here is a closer look at the candidates and their current positions according to the latest data:
1. Elizabeth Warren
The 70-year old Senator is a candidate that must be watched out for. The former law professor had ventured into politics in 2012, where she was running for the US Senate. He had managed to do the impossible by becoming the first woman to be elected as a Senator from Massachusetts. She has been considered as a person who is hard on Wall Street establishments.
She has spoken against the tech giants following the dominance of tech companies and their impacts. She had proposed earlier on breaking up the big technology companies to have proper oversight on its activities. Her liberal policies and backing certain policies stance have led many in the establishment to worry about her electability. The latest polls might be a surge of her performance yet it is too soon to say about the Senator’s chances to win the candidacy.
2. Joe Biden
The former vice-president is running for the candidacy for the third time. He has been billed as a strong candidate and the numbers prove it as he has been in the lead since his announcement on April 2019. Often criticized for his stance in the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his voting for the war in Iraq. Biden who has been a long-time member in the US Politics had earlier served as a senator of Delaware before being tapped in to run as a running mate of President Barack Obama.
He has been highly critical of Donald Trump and his attempts at changing the Obamacare medical plan as well as his attempts at polarizing the country. The 76-year-old has been caught in the fire lately during the Democratic Party debates especially during the first debate when Kamala Harris had launched an offensive against Biden and his campaign stance. He still has been considered as a strong candidate still polling high despite the minor hiccups.
3.Bernie Sanders
The senator from Vermont had a good run in 2016 but fell short to Hillary Clinton. This time he has been considered by many as a strong candidate to face Donald Trump in the 2020 elections. The longest-serving independent has never been a part of the Democratic Party and is a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, a reason why many of the democrats are still sceptical about his policies. Sanders has been the most popular candidate in the polls, he has a great grassroots organization base as well as his fundraising capacity.
Sanders has been a vocal advocate about a new medical plan called ‘Medicare-for-all’, he has had his moments during the debate especially after his ‘I wrote the damn bill’ punch on Tim Ryan during the first debate managed to show his will to go in the long run to win the nomination. His polling data had kept him in the lead before Joe Biden had announced his candidacy. He has been consistently in the top three but the latest polling data will keep the Senator focused on ensuring that a strong performance in the early states will be able to keep him within an arms-length of the nomination.
4. Pete Buttigieg
The South Bend Mayor has become a favourite in the time since he has announced his candidacy. He has been considered by many a candidate who can give the others in the fray for a run for their money. Buttigieg has been able to rile support by being the youngest candidate running for the nomination. He has served in the US Military and has served in Afghanistan.
The Mayor has been critical of the government and its policies. He has come out in bringing in his own sets of progressive policies particularly increasing the bench of the Supreme Court has been met with lukewarm responses. Despite this, he has managed to stay in the top half of the polls ranking in fourth in the recent polling data. He has also managed to garner support for his drive of unity during the debates by reminding candidates about keeping the partisan feelings and avoid personal attacks on each other. His fundraising tactics have been on point leading him to get more money than the others, keeping him in the long run for the election season.
5. Kamala Harris
The California Senator has been a leading figure for the US Democratic Party. Harris had earlier served as the Attorney General of California before entering into the US Senate. Currently a member of the select committee on Intelligence as well as Committee on Judiciary. She shot up to fame and earned praises from the Democratic Party for her questioning of then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and her pressing of Attorney General William Barr.
She has been a candidate who is strong in the offence but is a little weak when it comes to defending her stance. Her grilling of Joe Biden during the first debate showed promise in her candidature but lately, the spark has been fading with a weak performance in the second and third debate. She has been in the top tier but is still a long way away from winning the candidacy. She currently ranks fifth as per the latest polling numbers as mentioned above.
(Inputs from agencies)