Warren jumps ahead of Biden in latest 2020 polls

Quinnipiac names her a "co-frontrunner" after leading two rounds of polling

Elizabeth Warren is leading the crowded pack of candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic primary nomination for the first time, according to new results from polling aggregation website RealClearPolitics, which averages poll data from across the US. The numbers released on Wednesday show the progressive Massachusetts senator polling at 26.6 per cent, with former Vice President Joe Biden slightly behind her at 26.4 per cent.

The latest numbers follow Tuesday’s Quinnipiac University poll, which found Ms Warren capturing 29 per cent of Democrat and Democrat-leaning independent voters. Mr Biden followed at 26 per cent, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders trailed on 16 per cent. No other candidates topped 4 per cent in that poll.

Ms Warren has led Quinnipiac’s two most recent Democratic primary polls, a sign that she is leading the charge as a “co-frontrunner” alongside Mr Biden, according to Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy.

Mr Malloy said: "Warren maintains her strength in the Democratic primary, which has been consistently growing since the start of her campaign.”

Among early frontrunners, Mr Biden recently has been plagued by campaign trail gaffes, health issues and controversy surrounding the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, who is accused of seeking information from Ukraine intended to damage Mr Biden and his son Hunter, a request captured on a White House phone call.

Late last month, Ms Warren surged ahead of former Vice President Joe Biden in a California-based survey, jumping up 11 points from a similar June poll to 29 per cent.

Throughout the summer’s third-quarter campaign donation haul, Ms Warren raised $24.6 million, with an average contribution of $26 from among her 943,000 donations.

That haul inches closer to the contributions to Mr Sanders’ campaign, which raised $25.3 million from June through September, the most money raised among any of the candidates.

Both candidates have pledged to eschew big-money fundraising events and closed-door campaigning, with their campaign contributions largely coming from individual small donors.

Mr Sanders, who suffered a heart attack last week, has remained steadfast that his health would not significantly impact his campaign. The 78-year-old senator was released from the hospital on Friday, and he told reporters that he will continue campaigning with only some minor adjustments to his schedule.

The top 12 Democratic candidates will participate in televised debates on 15 October and 20 November.