Bernie Sanders Leads Iowa Polls

Recent polls of Iowan Democratic voters have suggested for the first time that Bernie Sanders may be the favorite in the state’s caucuses. The state primary elections, which will be the first 2020 Democratic primary in the US, will be held on February 3. On the national scale, the favorite for the Democratic nomination had long been left-moderate Joe Biden, running on a campaign designed to play off the successes of the Obama administration and scoop up many of the moderate voters won over by incumbent Republican President Donald Trump in 2016. However, with the rising prevalence of healthcare as an issue on the debate stage, many voters have indicated that Biden’s plan of extending the existing plans for Obamacare is not enough—more and more, discussions of a single-payer, federally controlled healthcare system have moved from the fringe to the political mainstream. Sanders, a candidate much less moderate than Biden, proudly proclaims his plans for such a system as well as his rejection of campaign donations from billionaires and super PACs. Because of this, Sanders has emboldened Democratic voters, and the populace has been vibrantly responding to his ticket.

The Iowa caucus will set the tone for the Democratic primary elections and the general election for president in 2020. Both Sanders and Biden have a chance to unseat Trump in a general election, but more and more polls are giving Sanders favorable results to upset in November. Aided by a young and energetic yet vast base of supporters, a Bernie Sanders victory would mark a radical shift in power from the far right to the far left. The decision of Iowa Democrats on Monday—to support Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden—will determine the true frontrunner of the Democratic race and the near future of all American politics.