A new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll released Friday shows Bernie Sanders surging to first place in the Lone Star State.
The survey shows Sanders as narrow leader ahead of the crucial Texas primary, the second biggest Super Tuesday contest after California. The poll shows Sanders on 24 percent, up 12 percent, over Joe Biden 22 percent, Elizabeth Warren 15 percent, Mike Bloomberg 10 percent and Pete Buttigieg 7 percent.
Winning a big share of Texas’ 228 delegates, coupled with a big win in California on the same day would put Sanders well on his way to the 1990 pledged delegates need to secure the nomination outright on the first vote at the convention, preventing efforts by the establishment and super delegates to undermine him on a potential second vote.
Sanders is polling strongly with minority voters, especially Hispanics; overall 57 percent of voters at the 2016 primary were minorities, with 32 percent identifying as Hispanic. Hillary Clinton recorded a big win in Texas in 2016 with 65 percent of the vote.
The Tribune Poll also shows Sanders as the Democrat most competitive with Trump in Texas, on 45 percent to Trump’s 47 percent, within the poll’s margin of error. Joe Biden would lose by 4 points, the rest of the field by even more.
