Former Vice President Joe Biden has slipped to a single-digit lead in South Carolina—a state he has dominated since launching his candidacy.
A new poll released on Thursday by Change Research and The Post and Courier found the former vice president with only a seven-point advantage over his nearest challenger, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Biden led the 2020 field with 27 percent among South Carolina Democrats, with Sanders in second at 20 percent. Close on Sanders’ heels in third place was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) with 19 percent.
Further behind in fourth place was South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg with nine percent, followed by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and environmentalist billionaire Tom Steyer at five percent each. Rounding out the poll were Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, with four and three percent respectively.
The poll, which surveyed 392 likely Democrat voters between December 6-11, indicates Biden’s support has dropped significantly in recent weeks. Since entering the 2020 race, the former vice president dominated the competition in South Carolina. In May, Change Research had Biden leading by more than 30 percentage points. The former vice president maintained a double-digit advantage among Palmetto State Democrats as recently as October when Change Research found him besting Warren, 30 percent to 19 percent.