A second poll has Democratic
presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg, the openly gay mayor of South
Bend, Indiana, leading in Iowa.
The
telephone survey was conducted by J. Ann Selzer for CNN and the
Des Moines Register.
The November poll has Buttigieg leading
with 25 percent in the state. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren
was a distant second at 16 percent. Former Vice President Joe Biden
and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders were tied for third place with 15
percent.
Speaking with the Register,
Selzer
said: “There have been four candidates that have sort of
jostled around in a pack, but [Buttigieg] has a sizable lead over the
nearest contender – 9 points. So this is a new status for him.”
On Saturday, Buttigieg called the
results “encouraging” but added that “there are a lot of states
in this process.”
A Monmouth University poll released
last week showed Buttigieg leading in the state with a 3 percent lead
over Biden.
Iowa is a critical state because it
holds the nation's first presidential contest. Winning in Iowa could
translate into victories in subsequent states.
Buttigieg's campaign has invested
heavily in Iowa.