Quinnipiac Poll Shows Pete Buttigieg Surging to Second Place Nationally

Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s (D) surge is transcending early primary states and beginning to reflect nationally, a post-debate Quinnipiac University national poll released on Tuesday revealed.

The South Bend mayor has experienced a notable surge in early primary and caucus states in recent days, in Iowa and New Hampshire, particularly. Quinnipiac’s national poll, released Tuesday, indicated that the surge is transcending early voting states.

The survey, taken November 21 – 25, 2019, among 1,355 “self-identified registered voters nationwide,” showed Joe Biden (D) leading the field with 24 percent support and a top tier in flux, with Buttigieg overtaking both Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for second place with 16 percent support. Warren fell two points behind with 14 percent, followed by Sanders with 13 percent support.

The rest of the field is separated by a steep dropoff. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Michael Bloomberg (D) follow ten points behind Sanders with three percent support each. The remaining candidates garnered two percent support or less. The margin of error is +/- 4.9 percentage points, putting Buttigieg, Warren, and Sanders in a three-way race dead heat for second place:

“Biden is back on top of the pack but now there is a 3-way race for second,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said.

“Buttigieg has broken into the top tier, apparently at the expense of Warren, who has taken a dive after being hammered for being too far left on health care and other issues,” he added.

According to the survey, 35 percent of voters say a candidate’s ability to win in a general election matchup is the most important factor a potential nominee can possess. On that front, Biden leads, with 46 percent of Democrat and Democrat-leaning independent voters viewing him as the best bet to defeat President Trump.

The survey also found that Medicare for All, a proposal touted by both Sanders and Warren, is growing “increasingly unpopular among all American voters,” which could explain Buttigieg’s ability to catch up to them in the polls.

According to Quinnipiac, “36 percent say it is a good idea and 52 percent say it is a bad idea.”