CBS Poll: Biden 2nd In California To Sanders Before Super Tuesday; Most Ballots Yet To Be Returned
(CBS SF) – After a wild weekend in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, a new poll from CBS News shows former Vice President Joe Biden making gains in California ahead of the state's primary on Super Tuesday.
The CBS News / YouGov poll of 1,411 likely voters in the Democratic primary shows Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont continuing to have a double-digit lead in California, with 31 percent support. Meanwhile, Former Vice President Joe Biden has risen into second, with 19 percent, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is in third, with 18 percent.
A poll released last week by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies showed the former Vice President at 8 percent support, behind Sanders, Warren, former New York City mayor and businessman Michael Bloomberg and former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg. Another poll by Change Research / KQED released last week had Biden at 12 percent, behind Sanders and Warren.
CBS News estimated that Sanders would yield nearly half of California's massive delegate prize, while Biden and Warren split the remaining delegates.
• ALSO READ: Bernie Sanders Gets Loud Support In San Jose Ahead Of Super Tuesday
Biden, who had been struggling in the first contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, surged back after defeating Sanders in South Carolina by a wide margin on Saturday, catapulting Biden to 2nd in the delegate count. In the hours after Biden's win, Buttigieg suspended his campaign, along with Bay Area billionaire Tom Steyer.
On Monday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota dropped her bid for the Democratic nomination, one day before her home state holds its primary on Super Tuesday.
Klobuchar and Buttigieg said they would endorse Biden at an event Monday night.
JUST IN: @amyklobuchar is flying to Dallas to join Vice President Biden at his rally tonight where she will suspend her campaign and endorse the Vice President.
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) March 2, 2020
NEW: Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is poised to endorse former VP Joe Biden Monday at a campaign rally in Dallas, multiple people familiar with the plans confirm to @edokeefe, @ellee_watson and @BoKnowsNews; Buttigieg ended his presidential campaign on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/l40BrFGhN9
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) March 2, 2020
The poll of California Democratic primary voters was taken February 27-29. It has a margin of error of plus / minus 4 percent.
Super Tuesday in California is set to be full of suspense, as many California voters have yet to return their ballots.
According to Political Data Inc., out of the 16 million ballots that have been mailed out, only 3.3 million have been returned as of early Monday morning, about 21 percent.
With millions of Californians waiting until the last minute, along with expected high turnout and a host of changes to expand voter participation, results may not be fully known for days.
California is among more than a dozen states and territories holding primaries on Tuesday. Polls in the Golden State are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.