Poll: Younger candidate, same policies preferred by many Democrats over Biden

(The Center Square) – A significant number of voters across the nation say they would be more supportive of a younger Democratic candidate, even if the candidate was more liberal than President Joe Biden.

The Center Square Voters' Voice poll found 32% of voters said they would be more likely to vote Democratic if their candidate was 20-40 years younger and had the same policies as Biden.

Almost 25% said they would be more likely if the candidate was 20-40 years younger and had “more liberal policies and plans” than the 81-year-old Biden.

The poll was conducted in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights from July 8-11. It surveyed more than 2,500 registered voters, including 1,073 Republicans, 1221 Democrats, and 241 true (non-leaning) Independents. It has a margin of error of 2.0%. The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll is one of only six national tracking polls in the United States.

Dissatisfaction with Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate has increased after his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump in late June, with calls for him to step aside by a growing number of members of Congress in his party.

It also comes as 78-year-old former President Donald Trump widens his lead over Biden, with the same poll finding 46% of voters supporting Trump and 43% supporting Biden.

The poll was conducted after the debate but prior to last weekend’s assassination attempt on Trump.

Over half of Democrats, 51%, said they would be more likely to support a younger candidate with the same policies as Biden. Forty-three percent said they would if the candidate was younger and more liberal.

Another question in the poll found that, when given specific candidates, 66% of Democrats would pick someone other than Biden.

The poll reflects that the majority of Democrats know they would like another candidate, but there is no significant push for one alternative candidate over another. Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, and former First Lady Michelle Obama, 60, are the only names to eclipse 10% support.

A third of Democrats still remain united behind Biden, at 34%, even when given other candidates.

Only 27% of independents said they would be more likely to support a younger candidate with the same policies as Biden, while that number dropped even lower to 17% for a younger and more liberal candidate.

The 18- to 34-year-olds were most likely to support a younger and more liberal candidate, with 43% saying they would be more likely to vote Democratic in that case. The older the polled voter, the less likely that was to be true.

This younger, liberal candidate could be Harris, except that many of the political challenges Biden faces would also follow her.

“She still inherits all of the policy problems that come with his administration, such as inflation, immigration, and other issues where voters trust Trump,” David Byler, chief of Research at Noble Predictive Insights, told The Center Square. “Essentially, there is some weakness and some softness in Biden’s numbers among Democrats, but it’s not all because of the debate. Some of it is truly because of political weakness.”

Issues voters are concerned about are inflation, the economy, and illegal immigration, and polling shows it could be playing a larger factor .

Independents are leaning more Republican than Democrat this election cycle. Independents (59%) were significantly more likely than Democrats (22%) to disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy.