The Democrat primary race in New Hampshire is experiencing a “major shakeup,” with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) dominating the field, a WHDH 7 News/Emerson College poll released on the eve of Thanksgiving revealed.
Recent polls have indicated Sanders’ health scare did not have a negative impact on his standing in the Democrat field. In fact, he has experienced a notable boost since undergoing the emergency heart procedure, both nationally and in key early primary and caucus states.
The Emerson poll, taken November 22-26, 2019, among 549 Democrat primary voters in New Hampshire, showed Sanders taking the lead with 26 percent support. It also indicated Buttigieg on the rise, coming in second place with 22 percent support.
Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) fell eight points behind the South Bend mayor with 14 percent support each.
According to the survey, Buttigieg fares best among independent voters, earning 29 support. Sanders, Warren, and Biden follow with 21 percent, 12 percent, and 10 percent, respectively.
The poll also revealed a major shakeup in the lower tier of candidates, with Rep. Tusi Gabbard (D-HI) and Andrew Yang overtaking Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) for fifth and sixth place. They received six percent support, five percent support, and four percent support, respectively. Tom Steyer (D) came in eighth place with three percent support, and the remaining candidates garnered two percent support or less. The margin of error is +/- 4.1 percent:
Emerson notes the results reflect a “major shift” from the New Hampshire poll taken in September, “where Biden led with 24% (-10), followed by Warren with 21% (-7).
“Sanders has jumped from third, where he was at 13% (+13), and Buttigieg also doubled his support from 11% (+11),” Emerson noted.
Emerson Polling Director Spencer Kimball said:
The Democratic voters have taken a look at Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren and they appear unsatisfied at this time which brought some voters back to Bernie Sanders while others are now moving to a fresh face in Pete Buttigieg, this demonstrates the fluidity of the race.
The results coincide with a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll released this week, which also showed Sanders retaking the lead in the Granite State. The survey also indicated a surge for Buttigieg, battling Warren for second place 13 percent to her 14 percent. Biden came closely behind with 12 percent support:
“The narrative is changing in New Hampshire,” Suffolk Political Research Center director David Paleologos said of the results.
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