A newly released CBS News poll shows a three-way tie between Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, and Joe Biden for the front-runner position in Iowa. The poll also has Sanders as the sole front runner in New Hampshire.
In previous Iowa polls, Buttigieg held a 4-point lead over Sanders and Biden. Now, Sanders and Biden have made their way to the top, tying for the front runner position with 23 percent. Updated polling from RealClear Politics suggests Sanders actually holds the lead with 22 percent, while Buttigieg falls slightly behind at 21.7 percent.
The same CBS News poll also found Sanders ahead in New Hampshire. The poll has Sanders polling at 27 percent among New Hampshire voters, Biden at 25 percent, Warren at 18 percent, and Buttigieg at 3 percent.
This new polling solidifies the Sanders Surge. In the fourth quarter of fundraising, Sanders raised the most money out of any candidate with a whopping $34.5 million. Buttigieg trailed behind in fundraising with $25 million, nearly $10 million behind Sanders.
I'm incredibly proud to announce we raised $34.5 million from 1.8 million contributions in the fourth quarter.
Our average contribution: just $18.
Together, we're proving you don't need to beg the wealthy and the powerful for campaign contributions in order to win elections.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 2, 2020
Sanders’ small surge to front runner status seems like a massive jump to those who follow only mainstream media coverage. As Federalist Editor Christopher Bedford wrote, “in Iowa and New Hampshire, Sanders is once again filling gymnasiums and auditoriums. He has been for months. Yet while the press pounced on the withering numbers in Biden’s crowds, they glanced over Sanders’ massive crowds.”
While candidates must be weary of a Sanders shake-up, this poll most importantly signifies how divided Democrats are over the 2020 field. No single candidate has been able to secure a majority throughout this entire election. Even when candidates, such as Buttigieg, surge ahead in state polling, they inevitably backslide. It’s clear as day Democrats cannot decide who they want to represent their party in the 2020 election. It may be Sanders this week, but there’s no telling who may top the polls next week.
