A poll conducted by the Des Moines Register, CNN, and Mediacom revealed which candidates Democratic voters would like to see on the ticket. One of the most interesting aspects of the poll? Voters believe it'll take an experienced politician to beat President Donald Trump during the general election.
Former Vice President Joe BIden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) were the top choice amongst those who were polled. Biden won with 32 percent of the vote. Sanders came in second with 19 percent of the vote. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who gained national attention this past election cycle, came in with 11 percent.
"This is obviously a warm welcome to some people who are really familiar to caucusgoers in the state," J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., the firm that conducted the poll, told The Hill. "But there’s also some welcoming of newcomers who are only now starting to come to the state and get to know the people who could shape their future."
Other potential contenders include Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). The only one of the pack polling more than five percent was Warren.
The Iowa caucuses are vital because they're the first polls during the primary season. While they're important, there's no guarantee that the winners will win their party's support. In 2016, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) won the Republican caucus in Iowa but Donald Trump eventually became the Republican Party's nominee. The one thing the caucuses are great at? Helping eliminate a crowded field. And Democrats are definitely going to have that issue come 2020.
