Bernie Sanders Takes Lead in Iowa, Joe Biden Drops to Fourth

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 16: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) attends an event to introduce the
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has taken the lead in Iowa less than a month ahead of the February 3 caucus, a CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll released Friday revealed.

The poll, taken January 2-8, 2020, among 701 Democrat caucus-goers, found the socialist senator taking the lead in the Hawkeye State with 20 percent support, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who followed closely behind with 17 percent support.

Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D), who was previously leading in Iowa, came in one percentage point behind Warren with 16 percent support. Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) fell to fourth place with 15 percent support. The margin of error of +/- 3.7 percent indicates an extremely tight race among the top tier of candidates.

Sanders’ lead reflects a five-point jump from November’s results.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) came in fifth place with six percent support, followed by Andrew Yang (D) with five percent support. The remaining candidates saw three percent support or less.

“There’s no denying that this is a good poll for Bernie Sanders. He leads, but it’s not an uncontested lead,” pollster J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., said of the results. “He’s got a firmer grip on his supporters than the rest of his compatriots.”

The results come just days from next week’s Democrat debate in Des Moines, Iowa. Only six candidates have qualified, including Sanders, Warren, Buttigieg, Biden, Klobuchar, and Tom Steyer (D).

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