Buttigieg holds early lead over Biden and other Democrats in New Hampshire primaries: Poll
Cami Mondeaux
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Transportation Secretary and onetime presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg holds an early lead in a hypothetical matchup against President Joe Biden in the New Hampshire primaries, according to recent polling from the Granite state.
Roughly 16% of New Hampshire voters say they would prefer Buttigieg, who first rose to national prominence during the 2020 election cycle, compared to 15% who said the same of Biden, according to a new poll from the University of New Hampshire. Another 10% said they’d back Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 8% threw their support behind Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) for the nomination.
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The poll surveyed 346 New Hampshire voters between Jan. 19-23 and has a margin of error of 5.3 percentage points.
The polling gives Buttigieg an early advantage in the crucial battleground state, which has long held the coveted position as the “first-in-the-nation” primary — although that may soon change for the Democratic primary calendar.
The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted for a new early voting lineup for the 2024 presidential primaries in December, proposing to remove New Hampshire from its No. 1 slot after a recommendation from Biden. The new calendar proposes that South Carolina be chosen to host the first presidential primary, followed by Nevada and New Hampshire on the same day one week later, then Georgia, and finally Michigan.
Having South Carolina as the first primary state lends Biden an advantage if he chooses to run again in 2024. The Southern state helped secure his win during the 2020 election and would likely nominate the president with big numbers over any Democratic challengers next cycle. South Carolina is also home to a large black population, a crucial voting bloc for Democrats.
New Hampshire has prided itself on holding the nation’s first primary election for years, but opponents pushed for its replacement because of its lack voter diversity — arguing it should be replaced with similarly small states that are home to a wider range of racial and ethnic backgrounds.
In a letter addressed to Biden in mid-January, more than 20 New Hampshire Democrats urged the president not to strip the state of its coveted primary status, warning him it may negatively affect his reelection chances.
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The proposal puts New Hampshire Democrats in a bind as state law mandates the first-in-the-nation primary be held there. However, the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to levy severe penalties on any state Democratic Party that chooses to ignore the national party’s new order of voting and schedule its primary or caucus ahead of Super Tuesday.
The calendar has not yet been approved by the full DNC, but the lineup is expected to be final.