Sanders adds to lead in New Hampshire: poll

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) expanded his lead in New Hampshire ahead of Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation primary, according to a UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion poll released Monday.

Sanders now leads the 2020 Democratic presidential field in the Granite State with 25 percent, up 2 points from a week ago, the poll found. Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is in second place with 17 percent, a 5-point increase from last week, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) at 15 percent, a 4-point decrease, and former Vice President Joe Biden at 14 percent, a decline of 8 points.

The survey revealed that Sanders led with women, polling at 29 percent of female respondents, followed by Warren with 17 percent, Buttigieg with 14 percent and Biden with 9 percent. Sanders pulled more support from women than men in the poll, receiving 20 percent of male voters, compared to 21 percent each for Biden and Buttigieg and 12 percent for Warren.

Sanders led among voters 18 to 44 years old, with 34 percent, and received support from 22 percent of those 45 and older, while Buttigieg had 15 percent of voters 18 to 44 and 17 percent of those 45 and up.

Sanders also led among voters who self-identify as liberal with 31 percent, with Buttigieg in second place at 21 percent support. Sanders and Biden are tied for first among voters who self-identify as moderates, pulling 19 percent each, with Buttigieg in third place with 14 percent.

Sanders won the New Hampshire primary in 2016, while Buttigieg heads into the contest behind Sanders in most state polling. Tuesday’s vote follows the  chaotic Iowa caucuses, which saw Buttigieg awarded the most delegates but Sanders winning the popular vote.

The new poll was conducted Feb. 4–7 online among 440 New Hampshire likely Democratic primary voters. It has a margin of error of 6.5 percentage points.