Biden Jumps To 16% Lead Over Sanders In Fight For Democratic Presidential Nomination, New Poll Shows

In a sudden shift of opinion, the majority of Democratic voters are now backing former Vice President Joe Biden.

A poll released Friday by Morning Consult found that 54% of Democratic primary voters said they would vote for Biden compared to 38% who said they would support Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).

His support mainly comes from an older demographic, as Sanders is still favored by the youngest brackets. The poll found that 70% of voters over the age of 45 are supporting Biden, while 57% of voters under the age of 45 support Sanders.

While voter turnout amongst younger constituents has increased over time, the older age bracket historically has the highest percentage of turnout.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, voting turnout for 18-29-year olds jumped from 19.9% in 2014 to 35.6% in 2018. For those 30-44, turnout was higher both years: 35.6% in 2014 and 48.8% in 2018. However, those over the age of 45 still dominated in both years with an average turnout rate of 58.7%.

A separate Morning Consult poll conducted the day after Super Tuesday found the vice president continuing that momentum, with 51 percent of Democratic primary voters saying they view Biden as the most electable Democratic candidate, up 34 points since polling conducted after the Nevada caucuses and New Hampshire primary.

Biden stumbled during the early states, failing to win a single delegate in either Iowa or New Hampshire. His losses there prompted speculation that he was not fit to beat President Donald Trump in a general election and polls showed Sanders as most likely to receive the democratic nomination.

However, the speculation has changed after an impressive Super Tuesday performance in which he secured more delegates than Sanders. He also received the endorsements of three former candidates: billionaire Mike Bloomberg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, as well as early dropouts Sens. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) and Kamala Harris (D-California).

Public perceptions of Biden’s electability versus Trump have since soared to 51%, compared to a 17% low after his loss in New Hampshire. In contrast, only 28% see Sanders as having the best chance to beat Trump.

The survey was conducted after Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) dropped out of the race. It polled 1,390 Democratic primary voters and has a 3-point margin of error.