A red flag among African-Americans
The findings also had some red flags for Biden, who since the last poll has emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
His support among black voters has dropped in a hypothetical three-way race with Trump and a third-party candidate. Although the sample size is small, making precise comparisons unreliable, about two-thirds of African American voters support Biden now; nearly eight in 10 had backed him in December. Those voters didn’t move to Trump, supported by just 8%. But one in four black voters now say they are undecided or would vote for a third-party candidate.
African American voters in
the South Carolina primary and
on Super Tuesday were crucial in Biden’s primary victories, and analysts agree it’s imperative for him to generate enthusiastic support among them in November. He has promised to select a woman as his running mate, and some activists are urging him to choose a black woman such as
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California,
U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida or
Stacey Abrams, who lost a bid for Georgia governor last year.
In the wake of the primaries, Biden has made progress in consolidating support among Democrats; 87% of Democratic voters now back him, and he has been endorsed by his primary rivals, former President Barack Obama and others. He has gained ground among voters under 35, a group that had been more likely in the primaries to support U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Now Biden is backed over Trump among younger voters by 50% to 25%.
That said, one in four of those 18 to 34 years old are still undecided or prefer a third-party candidate.
“I don’t have anything against Biden; I was just hoping for something different,” said Kate Elliott, 33, a Democrat from Cincinnati who would have preferred Sanders, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts or Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana – both of whom have endorsed Biden.
But there's no question she prefers Biden over Trump, calling the president's leadership during the pandemic irrational and unpredictable.
“I’ll vote for Biden,” she said, “but with a heavy sigh.”