New Hampshire Primary: Sanders Leads Buttigieg, Voters Focus On Beating Trump

Beating president Donald Trump in November remains the single unifying goal of Democrat voters, but they can't seem to figure out which candidate can best get this tough job done.

A new Monmouth University Poll conducted after the shambles of the Iowa Democratic Party caucus on February 3 shows Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, as the favorite of New Hampshire voters heading into the Granite State's presidential primary set for February 11. Sanders was selected by 24 percent of the poll respondents.

The result is surprising since previous polls consistently show former vice president Joe Biden being perceived as the most electable among the diverse field of Democratic Party candidates. Some analysts believe Biden's poor fourth place showing in Iowa might have fatally dented his image as the Democrat that can unseat Trump in November.

Sanders and mayor Pete Buttigieg are in a dead heat in the race for delegates in the botched Iowa caucus. Some political analysts, however, have already called Iowa for Sanders.

Going into New Hampshire, the Monmouth poll shows Buttigieg with 20 percent of voters and Biden with 17 percent. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, has 13 percent and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, with nine percent round out the top five in the final Monmouth University Poll of the New Hampshipre primary.

The previous Monmouth poll in January showed the leaders as Buttigieg (20 percent), Biden (19 percent), Sanders (18 percent), Warren (15 percent) and Klobuchar (six percent).

In the analysis of its latest poll, Monmouth said the Iowa caucuses haven't helped narrow the field. The final and correct outcome in Iowa, however, can eventually have an impact among voters looking for the best candidate to beat Trump.

"Based on the poll results, this could help Buttigieg and hurt Biden," said Monmouth. "Sanders, on the other hand, seems to have a firm grip on voters who prioritize issues over electability."

The new poll reveals clear trends since autumn 2019. Support for Sanders has grown steadily (from 12 percent in September and 18 percent in January). Buttigieg is still in the 20 percent but is up from the fall (10 percent). Biden has seen his support fall to 19 percent in January from 25 percent in September. Warren's support plummeted to 15 percent in January from 27 percent in September. On the other hand, Klobuchar’s support has cinched upwards from to six percent in January from two percent in September.

As indicated by previous polls, Sanders still receives his strongest support from voters under 50 years old (34 percent), self-described liberals (31 percent), and voters without a college degree (30 percent). He also polls better among men (32 percent) than women (17 percent).

Buttigieg has more support among women (24 percent) than men (14 percent) while Biden draws similar support among both men (17 percent) and women (16 percent).

“Many voters in New Hampshire remain open to switching their support" said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. "The muddle out of Iowa hasn’t narrowed the field, but there are some hints in the poll that Buttigieg could be helped and Biden hurt as the caucus results start to sink in."