A poll released Thursday shows Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders with a double-digit lead over his fellow Democratic presidential candidates in Wisconsin, indicating the front-runner’s recent surge extends to the crucial battleground state.
The poll conducted by Marquette University Law School from Feb. 19 to 23 showed that 29% of Wisconsinites surveyed answered that Sanders is their first choice of the Democratic presidential hopefuls, with 13% saying the Vermont senator is their second choice.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg came in a distant second at 17%, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden with 15% support and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 13%. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren trailed with 11% and 9% support among voters, respectively.
Sanders saw a 10% jump in support since January, when a Marquette poll showed he was the first choice of 19% of registered voters, meaning the Sanders campaign’s runaway energy since winning or tying for first in the first three Democratic primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada is translating to support in the Badger State, which will prove to be a key battleground in the November general election.
Sanders cruised to victory in Wisconsin’s 2016 Democratic primary, besting Hillary Clinton by 13 points with 56% of the vote and taking 10 more delegates in the state.
Conversely, Biden’s support among Wisconsin voters has halved since November, plummeting from 30% in the fall to 15% this month. Sanders polled at 17% in the November poll.
