There has been seemingly endless discussion over the last few months about potential big name Democratic primary challengers entering the race to take out Hillary Clinton. So on our newest national poll we tested Clinton not just against Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, but also against Al Gore and Elizabeth Warren and John Kerry and to make sure we were covering all our bases even Michael Dukakis.

Clinton leads the Democratic race with 42% to 24% for Sanders, 20% for Biden, 2% for Jim Webb, and 1% each for Lincoln Chafee and Martin O’Malley. Among Biden voters, 44% say Clinton would be their second choice to only 21% who say Sanders would be. If Biden doesn’t get in and you reallocate his backers to their second choice, Clinton leads Sanders 51 to 28. 

The race is close with very liberal voters (Clinton gets 45% to 41% for Sanders), men (Clinton gets 35%, Sanders 28%, Biden 24%), and younger voters (Clinton and Sanders tie at 36). Clinton is dominant with seniors (51% to 23% for Biden and 15% for Sanders),  African Americans (Clinton gets 51% to 30% for Biden and 13% for Sanders), and women (Clinton gets 48% to 22% for Sanders and 17% for Biden.)

We also tested a fantasy field in which all of the names that have been thrown out there as possible Clinton challengers in recent months were included. Clinton gets 37% to 20% for Biden, 19% for Sanders, 11% for Elizabeth Warren, 4% for Al Gore, 2% each for Michael Dukakis and John Kerry, and 1% for Martin O’Malley.  When you throw Warren, Gore, Dukakis, and Kerry into the mix Clinton still holds on to 83% of the people who support her in the actual field of candidates, compared to 80% for Biden, and 69% for Sanders. 

We also tested Clinton head to head against Biden, Sanders, Gore, Warren, and Kerry. Biden comes the closest- in a head to head against Clinton he trails only 51/38. No one else can come within 20 points of Clinton when it comes to a one on one contest. Sanders trails 54/34, Warren 58/28, Gore 67/22, and Kerry 69/17. That’s not to say Democratic voters don’t like these other faces. Gore has a 62/21 favorability rating, Kerry a 57/20 one, and Warren comes in at 51/18. But for the most part Democrats are content with nominating Clinton next year and aren’t looking for some new face (beyond possibly Biden) to enter the race so they can flock to them.

Full results here

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