Kamala Harris top 2020 choice in poll of women of color

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) leads the field of potential 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls among politically involved women of color, according to a straw poll released Tuesday by the group She the People.

Harris virtually swept the field of would-be candidates in the poll, claiming more than 71 percent support. Trailing in second place was Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) with a little more than 38 percent, the survey found.

Former Vice President Joe Biden came in third, drawing 25 percent support from the group of 264 women of color leaders, campaign staffers, political strategists, organizers and activists. 

{mosads}The survey results are a positive sign for Harris, who is said to be weighing a possible White House bid in 2020. The poll results come amid a push for more diversity in politics; women of color make up one of the Democratic Party’s most crucial voter blocs. 

The results also come weeks after Democrats recaptured control of the House in November’s midterm elections. That victory was aided significantly by the successful campaigns of many female candidates, including many women of color.

No clear frontrunner has emerged in the highly anticipated contest for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. But the straw poll presents an early snapshot of a key voting demographic.

Harris has already said she hasn’t ruled out a possible presidential bid. She’s also fueled speculation with visits to states like Iowa, where the first caucus of the 2020 presidential nominating contest will take place.

Among those surveyed, nearly 50 percent identify as African American, nearly 40 percent identify as Latinx, more than 16 percent identify as Asian and more than 5 percent as Native American.

Nearly 90 percent of respondents identify as Democrats, according to the survey.