Monmouth Poll: Few Dems Want Biden to Run in ’24

Most Democrats want someone other than President Joe Biden to be the party’s nominee for president in 2024, according to the latest survey from Monmouth University Poll.

The poll found that despite Biden holding a positive approval rating among most Democrats, 74%, just one-in-four want him to run for office again next year.

• 25% want Biden to “run again.”
• 44% want Biden to “step aside.”
• 30% have no preference.

Just over half of Democrats, 51%, could not name an alternative candidate when asked who the party should nominate if Biden does decide not to seek reelection. Of those who did name a candidate, the most popular choice was Vice President Kamala Harris at 13%.

Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement that “Democrats appear to be saying they like the job Biden has done, but maybe it’s time for him to move on when his term is up. However, no top tier of candidates emerges when these voters are asked to name a preferred alternative. Part of that could simply be the holding pattern that Democrats are in because Biden has signaled that he will, in fact, run.”

The survey also asked Democrat voters to rate the favorability of several prominent figures in the party, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.

• Sanders: 71% favorable, 12% unfavorable.
• Harris: 64% favorable, 19% unfavorable.
• Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren: 64% favorable, 12% unfavorable.

The poll also found widespread support for former President Barack Obama, 89% favorable, 5% unfavorable; and former First Lady Michelle Obama, 86% favorable, 4% unfavorable.

Monmouth surveyed 542 Democrat and Democrat-leaning voters across the country from March 16-20, 2023 with a margin of error of +/- 6.3 percentage points.