More than one-third of Democratic voters want Bernie Sanders to drop out of the 2020 presidential race

Joe Perticone

June 21, 2019 7:55 PM

More than one-third of voters want Bernie Sanders to drop out of the 2020 race, according to a new poll.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at the Poor People's Moral Action Congress presidential forum in Washington, Monday, June 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The only candidate in the poll who Democrats wanted to see drop out more was New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio , who 42% would prefer give up on any presidential ambitions.
But enthusiasm for Sanders' candidacy rates at 40%, second only to former Vice President Joe Biden , who 51% of respondents expressed being excited about his campaign.
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More than one-third of voters want Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont to drop out of the 2020 presidential race, making him one of the highest in that category among the large field of candidates.

The results of the poll as the 2020 primary race heats up could ultimately spell trouble for Sanders, who has carved out a lane as the Democrats' far-left option to unseat President Donald Trump .

According to a new poll from USA Today and Suffolk University , 35% said Sanders should drop out, compared to 40% who were excited about his candidacy, 21% with no opinion, and 4% who had never heard of him.

But enthusiasm for Sanders' candidacy rates at 40%, second only to former Vice President Joe Biden , who 51% of respondents expressed being excited about his campaign.

The only candidate in the poll who Democrats wanted to see drop out more was New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio , who 42% would prefer give up on any presidential ambitions.

Aside from Sanders and De Blasio, most candidates hovered around the 20% range in terms of how much voters want them to drop out of the race.

A considerable number of candidates also have very low name recognition, like Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and Miramar, Florida Mayor Wayne Messam, who respondents had not even heard of by 61% and 67%, respectively. Both Messam and Moulton failed to qualify for the first round of primary debates, as well.

But the race is still very early, with many candidates looking to court new voters and capitalize on strong debate performances in the coming months. The first Democratic primaries and caucuses are still seven months away.

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