An internal poll conducted by Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg’s campaign reportedly found that if rival contender Sen. Bernie Sanders wins the presidential nomination, it would cause the House to fall back into Republican control.
“Bernie Sanders’ nomination could drag down vulnerable House Democrats trying to hold onto their competitive districts, according to a new poll conducted for Mike Bloomberg’s campaign that is circulating among members,” POLITICO reported Tuesday, citing the survey’s results.
According to this poll of 40 House districts that could swing either way this November, “Sanders is less popular than Trump and loses significant support when hit for holding socialist positions.”
POLITICO reported that the Bloomberg survey found that Sanders and President Donald Trump were essentially even in a head-to-head matchup across those districts, but that Sanders trailed by a point.
However, the president opens up a 6-point lead among respondents after a list of negative messages about what Sanders believes and his political ideology as well as his alleged ineffectiveness while serving in the Senate.
The Bloomberg survey also found that Sanders’ potential negative impact extends beyond just the presidential race.
A plurality of voters, or 39 percent, said they would be less likely to support the Democratic candidate for Congress if Sanders is the party’s nominee and his positions and ideas are incorporated into the party’s overall platform.
That is nearly double the 21 percent who said they would be more likely to vote for a Democrat in Congress. Thirty-four percent said it would not change their vote, POLITICO reported.
The poll found that 47 percent of voters in competitive, Democratic-held districts felt that “the increased role of socialist ideas in the Democratic Party” was a “bad thing,” and 19 percent “ believe it is a good thing,” and 24 percent said “it makes no difference to them,” the news site noted further.