Poll: Bernie Sanders Leads 2020 Dems by 15 Points

Progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has jumped out to a double-digit lead over the rest of the 2020 Democratic primary field, appearing to cement his position as the front-runner to win the party's presidential nomination, according to a new ABC News-Washington Post poll.

BREAKING: Bernie Sanders is soaring and Joe Biden has crashed in national preference for the Democratic primary, new @ABC News/WaPo poll finds—while Iowa and New Hampshire helped clear room for a candidate not yet on the ballot: Mike Bloomberg. https://t.co/I2ciI4bOim pic.twitter.com/lsynMaYn1q

— ABC News (@ABC) February 19, 2020

The survey found that 32 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents favor Sanders, an 8-point increase from a similar poll conducted last month. Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden's support dropped 11 points to 17 percent, giving Sanders a 15-point lead against his nearest competitor. The 15-point margin is nearly double Biden's biggest lead in the ABC News-Washington Post surveys during the 2020 cycle.

Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who will appear in his first 2020 presidential debate in Nevada on Wednesday night, trails Biden in third with 14 percent support. The figure represents a 6-point climb since January.

Joe Biden says Iowa was always going to be hard for him to win:

"It's all white, it's all mid-Western, it's a lot of farming..."

Oh, boy. pic.twitter.com/nkiPeaMlGt

— The First (@TheFirstonTV) February 17, 2020