Joe Biden’s hold on the top of the Democratic polls has grown a little more tenuous in the latest CNN poll.
The former US Vice President was at 24 per cent approval among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents in the poll conducted between September 5-9, down from 32 per cent in the same poll in May.
His presidential rivals, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, are neck and neck behind him, at 18 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively. Warren has sharply improved her margin from the May poll, when she was at 7 per cent.
The poll comes as the three Democrats face-off alongside seven other candidates on Thursday night in Houston for the third Democratic primary debate.
The margin of error in the poll of 908 registered voters who are Democrats or lean Democratic was 4.3 percentage points.
Biden leads in Texas
Joe Biden still tops the Democratic primary field in Texas with Elizabeth Warren surging into second place on the eve of the party’s third candidate debate in that state, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.
Biden is supported by 28 per cent of Democratic voters and independent voters who lean Democratic, with Warren following with 18 per cent and both Bernie Sanders and former US Representative Beto O’Rourke falling to 12 per cent.
In an earlier Quinnipiac poll in June, Biden had 30 per cent, O’Rourke was second with 16 per cent, and Sanders had 15 per cent followed by Warren with 11 per cent.
When asked who has the best shot at winning over President Donald Trump in 2020, the former Vice President dominates with 50 per cent, and Warren and Sanders following with 10 per cent each, according to the poll.
Meanwhile, Trump’s job approval rating remains underwater in the state, with 50 per cent of registered voters disapproving compared with 45 per cent who approve.
The poll, which was conducted between September 4-9, surveyed 1,410 self-identified registered voters in Texas and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
Face-off
Ten candidates will face-off in the third Democratic debate on Thursday in Houston. It’ll be the first time Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren share a debate stage. Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto ORourke, Sanders and Andrew Yang will also participate.