New Pa. poll puts Biden’s lead smaller than others

A poll released Thursday by Franklin and Marshall College’s Center for Opinion Research showed former Vice President Joe Biden with a seven- point lead among registered Democrats in the state.

Mr. Biden was the first choice of 28% of respondents, followed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren with 21% and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with 12%.

California Sen. Kamala Harris, with 8%, and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, with 6%, were the only other candidates receiving more than 2%.

Presidential primary voting in 2020 will begin with the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3. Pennsylvania’s primary is April 28.

It is the first poll of Pennsylvania Democrats conducted since the first two rounds of Democratic primary debates, and also Franklin and Marshall’s first poll concerning candidates in the primary. Relative to earlier polls from other organizations, the new poll marks Mr. Biden’s worst performance with Pennsylvanians — and Ms. Warren’s best. Prior polls had Mr. Biden with a lead of at least 12 points, with Mr. Sanders in second place.

Mr. Biden has held an average lead of 16 points over the secondplace candidate in four statewide polls thus far. At this point in the 2016 Democratic primary campaign, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a lead in polls of over 20 points on Mr. Sanders. She ended up winning 55.6% of the vote in the commonwealth, with Mr. Sanders receiving 43.6%.

Among the current leading contenders, only Mr. Biden and Mr. Sanders have visited the Pittsburgh area so far this campaign, both in April. But all the leading candidates have made stops in the Philadelphia area, including Ms. Warren at the progressive Netroots Nation conference in July.

In a Franklin and Marshall poll question asking registered Democrats who their second choice would be, Ms. Warren led, with 25%. Ms. Harris received 16% and Mr. Biden and

Mr. Sanders both 15% as second choices.

The poll also found 37% of all Pennsylvania registered voters said President Donald Trump is doing an excellent or good job as president, 11% said he is doing “only a fair job,” and 52% said he is doing a poor job.

“President Trump’s current rating is similar to President Obama’s rating in Pennsylvania at the same point in his Presidency,” according to comments from the Lancaster college’s Center for Opinion Research accompanying the poll results.

The poll also surveyed registered voters of all parties on a number of state issues and found:

• 61% believe that the state’s tax system needs a fundamental overhaul and 60% believe that property taxes should be replaced by broader, statewide taxes.

• 23% support using the state’s motor license fund to pay for state police operations and 61% believe that the communities that rely on state police coverage should reimburse the state for those services.

• 69% percent strongly or somewhat supported Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed “Restore Pennsylvania” infrastructure plan.

The poll also found 47% of Pennsylvania registered voters said Mr. Wolf is doing an excellent or good job as governor; 32% said he is doing “only a fair job”; and 13% said he is doing a poor job. A slim majority, 51%, said Pennsylvania is “headed in the right direction.”