A new Charleston Post and Courier South Carolina poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden’s once rock solid lead in South Carolina has been eroded, with Bernie Sander now in a close second at 20 percent in a state that was until now seen as a lock for Biden.
The poll had Biden at 25 percent , with Bernie Sanders on 20 percent and investor Tom Steyer, who has spent up big on ads in the state, on 18 percent. Elizabeth Warren was at 11 percent, with Pete Buttigieg recording just 7 percent.
The state goes to the polls on February 29, making it the 4th contest of the primaries.
With a large number of black voters with whom Biden has polled well was seen as a potential firewall for the Biden campaign if he were to poll badly in the first 3 contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton reasserted her front runner status with a big win in the Palmetto State, winning 73 percent of the vote and picking up 39 of 53 delegates available, an even better performance than that of Barack Obama in 2008.
A win here for Sanders could be a huge boost going into Super Tuesday, especially if he has already performed well in the first three contests.
