An overwhelming majority of black voters — 85 percent — said in a new Hill-HarrisX poll that they would choose any Democratic presidential candidate over President Trump.
The survey, which was released on Monday, found this sentiment to be particularly true among black voters along partisan lines.
Ninety-eight percent of black voters who identify as Democrat, and 72 percent of those who identify as independent said they would back whoever ultimately becomes the Democratic nominee over Trump. Just 12 percent of black voters who identify as Republican said the same.
Black voters are considered a key voting bloc with the Democratic Party, particularly in states like South Carolina where they make up a significant proportion of the electorate.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the front-runner in most national polls, remains the top pick among Democratic primary voters in South Carolina.
According to a Fox News poll that came out on Sunday, Biden leads the Democratic field by 29 percentage points in the Palmetto State with 41 percent support. This marks a 6-point increase from July.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) climbed 7 percentage points to 12 percent support, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) fell four percentage points to 10 percent.
Biden’s sizable lead is largely attributed to his support among black voters in the state.
But recent polling suggests Warren’s overall support is on the rise among this key demographic.
A Quinnipiac poll released earlier this month found that Warren’s support among black voters ticked up to 19 percent, a 9-point increase since August.
The Hill-HarrisX survey was conducted among 210 black voters between Sept. 18 and Sept. 23. The margin of error of this poll is plus or minus 6.8 percentage points.
—Tess Bonn
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