A recent USA Today/Suffolk University poll reveals that most Democratic voters who intend to participate in the 2024 primary elections would like to see candidates debate before selecting their party's nominee. This desire extends to supporters of President Biden, with 72% of those planning to vote for him also favoring debates.
The poll indicates a strong preference for debates among Democrats, with 80% expressing support. This sentiment is widespread across various demographics, including 82% of women, 84% of union households, 86% of independents, and 90% of young voters intending to participate in the Democratic primaries.
David Paleologos, director of Suffolk's Political Research Center, highlighted the significance of these findings, emphasizing the substantial number of voters across different groups who want to witness primary debates.
This comes despite the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) announcement that there will be no debates before the presidential primary election, raising concerns about the perceived strength of Biden's reelection campaign.
The poll also gauged voter preferences for the Democratic nominee. President Biden leads with 58% support, followed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 15% and Marianne Williamson at 6%. A significant portion, 21%, remains undecided.
While incumbent presidents traditionally avoid primary debates, both Williamson and Kennedy have publicly called for debates with Biden. Williamson argued for the importance of diverse perspectives and democratic principles, while Kennedy emphasized the need for respectful dialogue and transparency.
The USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll, conducted from June 5th to 7th, surveyed 293 registered Democratic voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7 percentage points.
