A new poll released this week shows that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is the “first choice” for president among just three percent of Democrats in Iowa, the nation’s first caucus state.
The Minnesota senator has made multiple visits to Iowa in the past few months, one before the midterms to campaign for her fellow Democrats, and another to speak to a farmers union.
A new CNN/Des Moines Register poll shows that Klobuchar is the “first choice for president” of three percent of Iowa’s Democratic base. She ranks behind several other potential nominees, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX-16), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).
Biden topped the list with 32 percent of respondents saying he’s their first choice to run for the Democratic Party’s nomination in 2020. Klobuchar, however, did receive a larger percentage than Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rep. John Delaney (D-MD-06), and ten other potential candidates.
When asked if they would “ever” vote for Klobuchar, 44 percent of respondents said they would, while 15 percent said they wouldn’t.
Additionally, the poll found that 72 percent of Iowa’s Democrats think Hillary Clinton would “detract” from the 2020 race, while 76 percent believe that former first lady Michelle Obama would “add” to the race.
In fact, Clinton was the only candidate whose favorability rating (47 percent) was lower than her unfavorability rating (49 percent), apart from businessman Andrew Yang. Biden, on the other, received a whopping 82 percent favorability rating, while Klobuchar received 38 percent.
The poll revealed 49 percent of those surveyed believe that the Democrat who challenges President Donald Trump should be a “seasoned hand” as opposed to a newcomer, such as someone like O’Rourke. Additionally, a majority of respondents (54 percent) think it is more important to nominate a Democrat who has a strong “chance of beating” Trump than it is to nominate someone who “shares your positions on major issues.”
The poll surveyed 455 voters who are likely to attend the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses and was conducted between December 10-13.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Amy Klobuchar” by Lorie Shaull CC2.0
