Mayor Pete Buttigieg is now the frontrunner in the state of Iowa, according to a new poll released by the Des Moines Register.
The poll shows Buttigieg leading the pack of 2020 Democrats with 25 percent of the vote — nine points ahead of second-place candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Former Vice President Joe Biden is now in third place with 15 percent of the vote, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is in fifth place with six percent.
Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Kamala Harris, Tom Steyer, and Andrew Yang are all tied with about three percent.
New potential candidate former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg only has two percent.
Buttigieg softened some of his hard-left rhetoric in recent weeks, offering a health care plan that allowed Americans to choose whether they wanted a government health care plan or to stay on their private insurance.
The South Bend Mayor has enjoyed strong fundraising and has been campaigning vigorously in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Democrats remain skeptical of his chances in South Carolina, as polls show he is struggling to win black Democrats.
The poll featured 500 likely 2020 Democratic caucusgoers between the dates November 8-13. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.