Bernie Sanders Jumps Ahead Of Joe Biden By 3% In National Poll

A poll released Wednesday shows Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) jumping ahead of Joe Biden for the first time, despite respondents believing the former Vice President has the best odds of beating President Donald Trump.

Sanders led 27%, ahead of Biden by three points. The Jan 16-19 poll marks a stark shift from December, when the same poll showed Biden leading with 26% and Sanders at 20%.

However, the poll found that the majority of Democratic or Democratic-leaning independent voters were not committed to a single candidate.

Over half  (58%) said they may change their mind about which candidate they will support for the Democratic nomination.

Respondents prioritized the need to elect someone other than President Donald Trump.

To 57% of respondents, the Democratic nominee having the strongest chances to beat President Donald Trump was more important than their positions on major issues.

When asked who they believed has the best chance to beat Trump, 45% said Biden, far ahead of Sanders’s 24%.

The majority also believed Biden holds the best chance of uniting the Democratic Party (41%) and the country (39%). Only 16% thought Sanders is best-positioned to united the party, and 22% said he has the best chance of uniting the country.

The poll, conducted by CNN and SSRS, surveyed 1156 respondents. The margin of error was +/-3.4.