As President Donald Trump continues to defend himself in the ongoing impeachment investigation, 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are hitting the early-voting state trails, including South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg who managed to notch a strong showing in the critical battleground state of New Hampshire.
According to The Hill , a Saint Anselm College poll of New Hampshire primary voters released on Tuesday revealed that the 37-year-old candidate was able to grab first place in the poll with a 10-point lead on his nearest competitor. Not only is New Hampshire one of the first primary voting states, but it’s also a campaign momentum-booster that any candidate would be thrilled to win.
Likely Democratic voters surveyed in the poll gave Buttigieg 25 percent of support, while his closest competitor in the poll, former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, both tied for second place at 15 percent of support. Sen. Bernie Sanders only managed nine percent of support, which was a two-point drop from September. Biden lost nine points since the same poll taken in September, and Warren’s loss was the most noticeable, at 10 points.
The mayor’s number, on the other hand, was a staggering 15-point jump from his numbers in the same iteration of the poll taken in September, which potentially spells trouble for his competitors as his increase somewhat correlates with the point drop that they all experienced.
Buttigieg’s strong showing marks the first time he’s taken the top spot in a New Hampshire poll and while he’s always done fairly well, Biden, Warren, and Sanders have always had a leg up on the candidate. He also seems to be in voters’ good graces on the favorability scale, as he was able to garner a 76 percent favorability from New Hampshire Democratic voters with only 11 percent viewing him as unfavorable.
The 2020 hopeful’s good fortune in New Hampshire comes on the heels of another recent strong showing in Iowa, as previously reported by The Inquisitr . In a Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom survey of Iowa voters, Buttigieg jumped 16 points from a previous poll, giving him the clear front-runner status over his 2020 rivals.
I am not just here to end the era of Donald Trump. I am here to launch the era that must come next—an era of hope and belonging. We can get there, together. pic.twitter.com/RE46DUH5h6
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) November 17, 2019
Democratic strategist Lynda Tran commented on the surging interest in Buttigieg from Iowa voters.
“There’s no doubt about it — as the primary cycle continues, Mayor Pete’s appeal is only growing,” she told The Hill . “The latest poll certainly puts the wind at his back heading into Iowa.”
Winning Iowa has the chance to propel a candidate to victory at the ballot box, as the state holds their caucuses on February 3, giving candidates a chance to convince the public that they have what it takes to go all the way.
