Biden leads, Steyer pulls in second in South Carolina: poll

Former Vice President Joe Biden has a double digit lead over his presidential primary opponents in South Carolina, with Tom Steyer leapfrogging top-tier candidates for the second place spot in the early voting state, according to a new poll. 

Biden has 36 percent support in South Carolina, a 21-point lead over Steyer, according to a Fox News poll released Thursday. 

Although Biden maintains a strong first place lead, his support dipped 5 points from an October Fox News poll in the state. 

Steyer jumped to second, at 15 percent, according to the poll. It’s an 11-point increase for the billionaire philanthropist since October and solidifies his place on next week’s debate stage along with a separate Fox News poll released the same day showing Steyer with 12 percent support in Nevada. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is in third in South Carolina, at 14 percent, closely trailed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) at 10 percent. Sanders’s support increased by 4 points since October, whereas Warren’s support decreased by 2 points. 

Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a distant fifth at 4 percent support, based on the poll. 

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), entrepreneur Andrew Yang and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are each at 2 percent, based on the poll. All other candidates are at one percent support or less. 

South Carolina Democrats will vote on Feb. 29. It is the first early voting state with a significant African American voting population. 

Biden is the leading candidate among black voters in the state, with 43 percent support, according to the poll. Steyer trails him at 16 percent support, Sanders at 12 percent and Warren at 6 percent. 

Buttigieg, who has struggled throughout the primary to gain support from African American voters, has 2 percent support from black voters in South Carolina, based on the poll. 

Booker also has 2 percent support among black voters in the state, based on the poll. 

The poll was conducted between Jan. 5 and Jan. 8. It surveyed 808 South Carolina Democratic primary voters. There is a 3.5 percentage point margin of error.