Democrats prefer Kamala Harris as nominee after Biden drops out, CBS News poll finds

After President Biden announced his decision to step aside as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming election, the response from the nation’s Democrats has been overwhelmingly positive. Many believe that this move will increase their chances of defeating Donald Trump in November. Additionally, a majority of Democrats view Mr. Biden’s legacy as excellent or good.

While voters may not all be political experts, they seem to be optimistic about the party’s prospects moving forward. A significant number of voters believe that their chances of beating Trump have improved with Mr. Biden’s exit from the race, although some suggest that it depends on who the new nominee will be.

Interestingly, those who feel that the party’s chances have improved are more likely to approve of Biden’s decision to withdraw. Both male and female Democrats feel that the party’s chances have gotten better, with Democratic men showing a particularly strong sense of optimism. White Democrats, in particular, are more likely than Black Democrats to support Biden’s decision to step aside and believe that the party’s prospects have improved.

So, what’s next for the Democrats? A significant majority of Democrats would prefer to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as the new candidate. In a hypothetical scenario where voters had to choose between Harris and a generic “someone else,” about eight in 10 Democrats preferred Harris.

This preference for Harris is consistent across gender, age, and racial demographics within the Democratic party. Interestingly, liberal Democrats are even more likely than moderate Democrats to support Harris as the nominee. In terms of timing, most Democrats would like to see a candidate chosen now rather than waiting until the convention.

Looking back at Biden’s decision, two-thirds of Democrats feel that he was treated fairly by party leaders. Furthermore, the majority of Democratic voters have a positive view of what Mr. Biden’s legacy will be remembered as, with many believing it will be excellent or good.

In a political landscape where voter motivation is crucial, four in 10 Democrats say that Biden’s decision to step aside has made them more motivated to vote. This initial surge in motivation could prove critical to the Democrats’ success in the upcoming election, especially as Trump has been leading in the polls and has also been shown to have an edge over Harris in hypothetical matchups.

This survey was conducted by CBS News/YouGov and was based on a national sample of 1,071 registered voters who identify as Democrats. The interviews took place on July 21-22, 2024, and respondents had participated in earlier surveys conducted on July 11-13 and July 16-18, 2024. The sample was weighted by gender, age, race, education, and other factors based on the U.S. Census data and previous election data. The margin of error for the survey is ±3.4 points.