Sanders holds double-digit lead in Texas, tied with Biden in NC: polls

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) holds a 15-point lead in Texas over his closest rival in the 2020 Democratic primary, former Vice President Joe Biden, according to an NBC News/Marist poll released on Sunday.

Sanders has the support of 34 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, who will cast ballots in the Lone Star State on Super Tuesday, compared to Biden’s 19 percent.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has 15 percent support and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, (D-Mass.) has 10 percent, according to the poll. Former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) trail with 8 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

In North Carolina, where voters will also cast ballots on Super Tuesday, Sanders and Biden are separated by 2 percentage points, well within the margin of error, in another NBC News/Marist poll.

Sanders has 26 percent support in North Carolina while Biden has 24 percent, pollsters found.

Bloomberg is in third at 15 percent and is followed by Warren at 11 percent, Buttigieg at 7 percent and Klobuchar at 5 percent.

The two states will award a combined 336 delegates on Tuesday, NBC News noted, adding that the polls were conducted Feb. 23-27, before Biden’s decisive win on Saturday in the South Carolina primary.

The Texas poll of 556 likely Democratic primary voters has a margin of error of 5.3 percentage points.

In North Carolina, the poll of 568 likely Democratic primary voters has a margin of error of 5.1 percentage points.