Twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will be the frontrunner to win the Democratic nomination when she inevitably launches her third campaign for the White House, a recently published poll found.
The Harvard/Harris poll asked a national sample of Democratic voters whom they would support for president in the event that Clinton—who has refused to rule out entering the race—and former secretary of state John Kerry entered the 2020 Democratic primary.
In this hypothetical scenario, 21 percent of Democratic respondents said they would support Hillary, enough to give her the lead over current Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, who received 20 percent. The results suggest that were she to enter, Hillary would siphon support from many of the top candidates.
In addition to Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg, and even Michael Bloomberg all saw significant declines in support when voters were given the option to vote for Hillary.
Hillary Clinton is currently in the midst of a media tour, ostensibly to promote The Book of Gutsy Women, the new book she coauthored with her daughter Chelsea. As some observers have noted, the publicity campaign is also a convenient excuse to keep her name in the headlines as she ponders whether to run for president again.
Harvard-Harris, top 5 current 2020 field among Democratic voters:
Biden 29
Sanders 16
Warren 13
Buttigieg 8
Bloomberg 7If Hillary Clinton and John Kerry get in race?
Clinton 21
Biden 20
Sanders 12
Warren 9
Buttigieg & Kerry 5https://t.co/KiEbT2ik7Z— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) December 9, 2019
Reporting suggests the former secretary of state would consider a third White House run if she believed she could win.
During a recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the would-be frontrunner declared "I like men." Some political analysts have suggested Hillary's comments were intended to boost her "hetero" credentials ahead of an official campaign launch in the weeks or months to come.