Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a strong lead among registered Virginia voters in the race for the Democratic nomination, according to a recent poll conducted by the University of Mary Washington.
The poll — which was conducted by Resarch America Inc. for UMW — found that Biden was the first choice for 23% of registered voters surveyed, followed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at 9% each.
The survey asked 1,009 voting-aged Virginia residents to identify their first and second choice of the 10 Democratic presidential candidates who participated in the latest debate.
Warren led voters’ second choice for presidential candidate with 11% voter support and Biden followed with 10%.
Biden’s dominance in the poll reflects his lead nationwide, though the survey was conducted before recent allegations that President Donald Trump may have held back financial support to Ukraine to pressure the country to investigate the former vice president and his family.
“The latest Mary Washington survey demonstrates that the national favorites are also ahead in Virginia,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington.
Among the other seven candidates, 5% said they would support California Sen. Kamala Harris. Four percent said they would vote for South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and entrepreneur Andrew Yang had the support of 2% of those surveyed. Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro each received 1%.
“Some candidates who have made a point of spending a lot of time in Virginia, like Beto O’Rourke, are still struggling to make their way into the top tier,” Farnsworth said.
The rest of those surveyed said they would not vote in the Democratic primary or declined to identify a favorite.
