Poll Finds Most Democrats Don't Want Biden to Run Again

The number is 37%, down from 52%
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 6, 2023 1:44 AM CST
Just 37% of Democrats Want Biden to Run Again: Poll
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris stand on stage at the Democratic National Committee winter meeting, Feb. 3, 2023, in Philadelphia.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

A majority of Democrats now think one term is plenty for President Biden, despite his insistence that he plans to seek reelection in 2024, the AP reports. That's according to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that shows just 37% of Democrats say they want him to seek a second term, down from 52% in the weeks before last year's midterm elections. While Biden has trumpeted his legislative victories and ability to govern, the poll suggests relatively few US adults give him high marks on either. Follow-up interviews with poll respondents suggest that many believe the 80-year-old's age is a liability, with people focused on his coughing, his gait, his gaffes, and the possibility that the world's most stressful job would be better suited for someone younger.

Overall, 41% approve of how Biden is handling his job as president, the poll shows, similar to ratings at the end of last year. A majority of Democrats still approve of the job Biden is doing as president, yet their appetite for a reelection campaign has slipped despite his electoral track record. Only 22% of US adults overall say he should run again, down from 29% who said so before last year’s midterm elections. The decline among Democrats saying Biden should run again for president appears concentrated among younger people. Among Democrats age 45 and over, 49% say Biden should run for reelection, nearly as many as the 58% who said that in October. But among those under age 45, 23% now say he should run for reelection, after 45% said that before the midterms. More from the poll here. (Or see another recent poll with bad news for Biden.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X