Hillary Clinton’s lead over Bernie Sanders in the presidential race is growing, a new poll says.
Clinton receives over three times as much support as Sen. Sanders (I-Vt.) when voters aren’t given the option of choosing Vice President Biden, according to the Emerson College Polling Society survey.
{mosads}The pollster found Clinton receving 68 percent support, compared with 20 percent for Sanders.
No other Democratic White House hopeful registered over double-digit support.
Former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-Md.) received 2.5 percent, while former Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), who is reportedly ending his bid on Tuesday, polled at less than 1 percent.
Another 2 percent picked “other candidate,” while 6 percent remain undecided.
Biden ranks competitively with Clinton and Sanders across multiple national polls, but Emerson chose to leave him out of their sample, testing support only for the declared Democratic candidates.
The vice president is seriously considering a run for the White House, weighing whether he has the “emotional fuel” for a campaign following the death of his son, Beau Biden, over the summer.
Reports emerged Tuesday that Hallie Biden, Beau Biden’s widow, is “100 percent” behind Joe Biden should he launch a presidential campaign.
Some Democrats are questioning whether it might be too late for the vice president to jump in.
Clinton may have solidified her status as the Democratic front-runner following her performance in her party’s first presidential debate last week.
Tuesday’s poll found that most respondents oppose Biden making a third Oval Office bid.
Forty-three percent said they hope Biden remains on the sidelines versus 32 percent who want him to enter the race.