Buttigieg and Biden Tie in Early Presidential Primary Poll

Transportation Secretary and prospective presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and sitting President Joe Biden faced off in a New Hampshire prospective 2023 presidential primary poll. The University of New Hampshire (UNH) Survey Center Grant poll found that 17% of democratic primary New Hampshire voters would choose Buttigieg over a list of democrats who are rumored to run for office in the next election year.

Joe Biden comes in at a close second, amassing 16% of the democratic early vote over other potential candidates. There is meaning in such a small difference in percentages, however.

New Hampshire’s residents paint a clear picture of what they see in a future president, and it’s not Joe Biden.

In fact, around 74% of New Hampshire residents do not want Biden to run again in 2024. Given his age, economic management, and lack of delivery on his initial promises, his work so far has weaned voters away from putting his name on their ballot. The support for his return to the campaign trail has decreased dramatically even within the past few months, beginning at 54% of democrats in June to only 31% by the end of July.

This sample size, while small, speaks to a greater level of political attentiveness amidst most voters going into the 2024 election. The support for a more “progressive” candidate such as Buttigieg in wake of a centrist presidency so recently shows that democratic voters in New Hampshire and beyond may be moving away from centrist candidates to accomplish their vision for America.

Biden’s staff also seem to have more faith in the out secretary in comparison to other potential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been rumored to be “sidelined” by the Biden administration in favor of word from Buttigieg. After forgoing his spot in the running for presidency in 2020, Buttigieg voiced his full support for Biden’s candidacy and eventual win; only time will tell if President Joe Biden will run again or return the favor.