Stunning Poll Shows Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders Now Neck And Neck For Black Vote

A new NBC News/WSJ poll shows Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) surging to similar levels of black voter support as former Vice President Joe Biden, who has been the leader in African-American support during the primary.

Biden’s support stands at 31% of black Democratic primary voters, just ahead of Sanders at 29%. But critically, the oversample of black voters still was only out of a sample size of 139 respondents, leading to a much larger than usual 8.31% margin of error.

Practically, it means Biden could still be leading among the constituency but also suggests Sanders has made inroads among black voters as he has tied and won in the first two states, emerged as the frontrunner for the nomination, and stands in good position of winning the Nevada caucus on Saturday.

The poll was conducted Feb. 14 to Feb. 18, after Sanders won in New Hampshire and campaigning in Nevada was underway, but before billionaire Mike Bloomberg made his debut on the debate stage. The former New York City mayor received half as much support as Biden and Sanders from black voters in the poll, with the rest of the candidates in single digits.

The survey revealed discouraging numbers for Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, with more voters uncomfortable or with reservations about their candidacy, than those with comfort or enthusiasm.

There was, of course, a bright spot for the Democratic Party with the black voters that have long been a key part of their coalition.

President Donald Trump’s approval rating among African-American voters stands at just 14%, with 84% disapproving — including 69% who say they disapprove of him strongly, according to NBC News/WSJ.