Biden and Trump slip in new Iowa poll

President Biden and former President Donald Trump remain the front-runners in their party’s voters in Iowa but their leads are shrinking, according to a new poll.

Mr. Trump garnered 49% support among Republican caucus voters in Iowa — a 13-point decrease from the same poll taken in May. Support for his closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, dropped 6 points from 20% to 14%, found the poll from Emerson College.

Mr. Biden enjoyed 50% supporters from Democrat caucus voters but dropped 19 points from the last poll. His Democratic rivals, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson, now hold 9% and 7% support, respectively, while 34% are undecided.

“While both Biden and Trump have lost some support in Iowa, it does not appear that any other candidate has been able to emerge as a clear alternative,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling. “Republicans saw DeSantis fall back into the pack, as the vote splintered amongst a crowded field, and Kennedy and Williamson have failed to gain traction in Iowa.”

Meanwhile, other GOP hopefuls saw an increase in support. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina bumped up from 3% to 8%, while former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley went from 5% to 7% and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy had a 5-point raise from 2% to 7%.

Sixty-four percent of voters said they would definitely vote for the candidate they selected, but 35% said there’s still a chance they could change their mind.

In a hypothetical general election matchup in solidly red Iowa, Mr. Trump leads with 48% to Mr. Biden‘s 35%. Green Party candidate Cornel West pulled 5% of the vote.

“A third-party candidate on the ballot changes the dynamic of the race by pulling votes from both sides,” Kimball said. “However, West’s voters are more willing to change their minds than Trump and Biden voters: 72% of West voters say they might vote for another candidate, compared to about two-thirds of Biden and Trump voters who plan on sticking with them.”