NBC/WSJ poll finds Biden, Warren leading 2020 Democrats

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Thursday shows former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) at the top of the 2020 Democratic field.

In the wake of the first Democratic debates, Biden has the backing of 26 percent of voters who say they will cast their ballots in the 2020 Democratic primaries or caucuses, while 19 percent support Warren. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) are tied at 13 percent and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg follows with 7 percent.

Taking a closer look at the data, Biden outperforms the other candidates among older Democrats, African Americans, and Democrats who consider themselves moderate or conservative. Warren's strongest supporters are self-described liberals and people between the ages of 18 and 49. When asked about who would be their second choice for president, Harris came out on top with the support of 14 percent of voters, followed by Warren with 13 percent, Sanders with 12 percent, and Biden with 10 percent. Only 12 percent of all Democratic primary voters said they definitely know who they will vote for next year.

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The poll of 800 registered voters was conducted July 7-9, with an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.5 percentage points. Among the 500 Democratic primary voters polled, the margin of error is plus-minus 4.9 percentage points.