In one of the first signs that dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden goes beyond grumbling, more New Hampshire Democrats than not want him to face challengers in their first-in-the-nation 2024 primary.
The latest University of New Hampshire survey of primary voters found that Democrats, by a 45% to 29% margin, want Biden to face “opposition in primary.” Some 26% were unsure.
That is a switch from July when the same poll found that only 29% of Democrats wanted the president primaried, 38% preferred that he run unopposed, and 33% were unsure.
Biden has also lost reelection momentum in the state. In July, 49% of state Democratic primary voters said they planned to vote for Biden in 2024, 9% wanted an alternative, and 43% were unsure. Now, “don’t know/not sure” leads at 52%, 37% plan to vote for Biden, and 11% want another candidate.
The findings come as all New Hampshire voters express disgruntlement with both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Both have been on a steady path down in the university’s test of approval ratings.
The survey found that among all primary voters, 53% have an unfavorable opinion of the president versus 34% with a favorable opinion.
Harris’s unfavorable rating, meanwhile, is at 55%, and her favorable rating is at 24%.
