CBS News Poll: Many Democrats believe their chances of winning office improved after Biden left office, backed Kamala Harris
Democrats across the country are reacting positively to President Biden’s withdrawal from the party’s nomination, with many believing it will improve their chances of beating Donald Trump in November while overwhelmingly saying Mr. Biden’s legacy will be excellent or good.
Voters are not all political strategists, of course, but here’s how they assess the party’s chances from there:
They are much more likely to say their chances of beating Trump have improved rather than diminished now, although about three in ten say it depends on who the candidate is.
And those who feel their chances have improved are more likely to approve of Mr. Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race.
Both Democratic men and women believe the party’s chances have improved overall, but Democratic men are particularly likely to say so.
White Democrats are more likely than black Democrats to approve of Biden’s withdrawal, and white Democrats are also more likely to say the party’s chances have improved now.
And now what will the Democrats do?
Most Democrats would now choose Kamala Harris as their vice president. With no official opponent yet, the two options were to nominate Kamala Harris or another generic candidate, and about eight in ten Democrats would choose Kamala Harris.
Similar majorities express a preference for Harris whether they are male or female, young or old, white, black or Hispanic.
Ideology makes a small difference: Liberal Democrats are even more likely than moderate Democrats to say this.
As for the timetable, a majority would like the party to choose a candidate now; four in ten would wait until the convention.
Back to Biden
Two-thirds of Democrats believe Mr. Biden was treated fairly by party leaders when he made his decision.
Democratic voters have an overwhelmingly positive view of Mr. Biden’s legacy. Most believe people will view him as excellent or good.
In an election where the difference has been mostly about motivation, four in 10 Democrats say Biden’s withdrawal makes them more likely to vote now. But that’s an initial sentiment. Over the next few weeks, that sentiment could prove decisive for Democrats, given that Trump led the race heading into the weekend. and was already leading Harris in a hypothetical matchup in a previous poll.
This CBS News/YouGov survey is based on a national sample of 1,071 registered voters who identify as Democrats and were surveyed July 21-22, 2024. All respondents participated in prior national surveys of registered voters conducted July 11-13 and July 16-18, 2024. The sample was weighted by gender, age, race, and education level based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and the U.S. Census Current Population Survey, as well as the 2020 presidential vote, and weighted to account for differential response rates. The margin of error for the total sample is ±3.4 percentage points.
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