Who Is Considered Electable?

While most major polls show former Vice President Joe Biden the clear leader in the pack of 24 DNC primary candidates, Biden’s nearly 10-point lead against his closest competitors becomes non-existent when the question of electability gets taken out of the equation. Avalanche Strategy asked respondents who they would vote for if they could wave a magic would and automatically make a candidate president. A roughly equal portion of registered voters would make Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Bernie Sanders, and former Vice President Joe Biden president.

Biden’s current lead in nationwide polls that don’t ask about a magic wand rests on his perceived electability against President Trump. For likely Democratic voters, the question of electability is ever important with nearly 97 percent of respondents viewing President Trump as a very or extremely important issue, making electability a strong driver of vote preference.

The first round of DNC primary debates is happening tonight, the first of two back-to-back days of debates. Candidates must prove that they can win against President Trump in order to woo primary voters.