Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is now holding an 11-point lead over former Vice President Joe Biden in the race for the Democrats' presidential nomination and a 3-point lead in support from African American voters, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The poll, released Tuesday, showed:
- Sanders: 26% of Democrats and independents.
- Biden and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, tied at 15% each.
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, 10% each.
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 4%.
- Billionaire activist Tom Steyer, 3%.
Sanders became the race's clear frontrunner after winning the Nevada caucuses by a wide margin last weekend. He also won in New Hampshire and came in just behind Buttigieg in Iowa, notes The Hill.
Among African American voters, 26% said they would back Sanders, up 7 points from a poll conducted between Jan. 29-Feb. 19.
Biden's numbers dropped to 23% among black voters, down 10 points since the previous survey. Bloomberg's numbers jumped by 10 points to 20%.
Biden has continued to say his standing in the race will grow with more diverse states voting and had made a heavy investment into South Carolina ahead of its primary this Saturday.
Biden told CBS News on Sunday his numbers have been dropping, including among black voters, because Steyer has been spending heavily in the race. Bloomberg, the other billionaire seeking the nomination is skipping South Carolina to focus on the Super Tuesday primaries.
The Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll was conducted among a sample of 4,439 adults online, including 2,224 who identified as registered Democrats or independents and 446 African Americans. The credibility interval was between 2 and 5 percentage points.