President Joe Biden has suffered a huge drop in support in Iowa, the politically critical state that Democrats kicked to the curb when they rejiggered their primary schedule.
In the latest Emerson College Polling survey, the president tumbled 19 percentage points in caucus support, though he has a significant lead over distant challengers led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
DESANTIS POINTS TO RENEWED TERRORISM THREAT ON SOUTHERN BORDER ON 9/11 ANNIVERSARY
Women and younger voters led the mutiny, Emerson said. “Young voters and women voters are two groups who have lower support for Biden than their counterparts: only 38% of Democratic voters under 30 support Biden in a caucus, and 41% of women are undecided,” Spencer Kimball, the executive director of the survey, said.
Biden fell from 69% in May to 50% last week. But neither Kennedy nor Marianne Williamson were the beneficiaries.
IOWA POLL
2024 Hypothetical Presidential Election
Trump 50%
Biden 39%
11% undecidedTrump 48%
Biden 35%
West 5%
13% undecidedhttps://t.co/9CAoxIyp0G— Emerson College Polling (@EmersonPolling) September 12, 2023
Instead, voters shifted to choosing “someone else/undecided” in the survey. In May, just 10% were undecided, and now that is 34% in the survey.
Democrats changed their primary and caucus schedule, dumping Iowa and its largely white population for South Carolina, which is 26% black.
On the Republican side, former President Donald Trump also lost support in the state that will continue to begin the GOP presidential race. Trump fell 13 points, from 62% to 49%. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) also lost ground, dropping from 20% to 14%. Other candidates picked up a few points but nothing significant. And former Vice President Mike Pence lost 2 points and now has just 3% support.
Kimball said that the voter shift, like on the Democratic side, doesn’t change the likely outcome.
SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS
“Trump supporters are the most likely to stick with their candidate as 79% say they will definitely vote for the former president, while just 21% say they could change their mind,” Kimball said.
In a head-to-head, Trump continues to lead Biden in Iowa, 50%-39%.
