The Iowa Caucus is one of the most important days of the primary and candidates are eager to learn where they stand among their competitors in a crowded field for the 2020 election. Luckily, the Monmouth University Poll shows us the latest numbers and the top candidates remain the same.
However, there has been some movement and not all of it has been positive.
Former Vice President Joe Biden continues to hang on to the lead in the poll with 28 percent of support among potential voters in the Iowa caucuses. Senator Elizabeth Warren, however, is gaining ground and as jumped 7 points to 19 percent.
Unfortunately for Senator Bernie Sanders, his numbers are heading in the wrong direction after the first two debates. Sanders has dropped 9 points to 16 percent.
Sitting outside of the top three are Senator Kamala Harris with 11 percent which is a 4 point jump, while South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg continues to hold strong at 8 percent. All the way at the bottom of the poll is New York City mayor Bill de Blasio who has zero percent of support in the race.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, billionaire investor Tom Steyer, Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, and businessman Andrew Yang are the only other candidates to have at least 2 percent support which is required to be a part of the September debates.
Monmouth University Poll
The most important issues among potential Democratic voters are:
The top issue on Iowa Democrats’ minds when choosing a presidential nominee continues to be health care (55%), followed by environmental concerns (18% climate change and 12% environment in general). These top two results are in line with voter concern levels in the April poll. Other issues important to voters include beating Trump (15%), immigration (14%), education (7%), taxes (7%), jobs (6%), income inequality (6%), civil rights (6%), foreign policy (5%), and guns (5%). It should be noted that gun issues were tracking steadily at 3% during the first three nights of the poll, but shot up to 10% in interviews conducted on Sunday after the recent mass shootings. Health care went from 58% to 44% during this same time frame.
Plenty can change between now and the September debates, so it will be interesting to see how strong of a hold Biden continues to have on the lead in the race.