New poll offers glimpse into how Hoosiers feel about Pete Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg rose from relative unknown to the cover of Time magazine and becoming one of the most talked about 2020 Democratic presidential candidates in just a few months.

In that time, polls have measured his popularity among voters nationally and in states with early nominating contests. Now, a new poll from survey research firm We Ask America offers a glimpse into how voters from Buttigieg's home state feel about him and other 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.

The poll involves online surveys of 800 registered voters in Indiana. Thirty-five percent of those voters have a favorable opinion of Buttigieg, and 25% have an unfavorable opinion of him.

2020 Democratic presidential candidate South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during a town hall meeting on April 16, 2019, in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

He fares much better among the 280 self-identified Democrats in the poll: 60% found him favorable, and 9% found him unfavorable. The margin of error for the Democratic sample is 5.86 percentage points. 

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Though Buttigieg is viewed favorably among voters in his party, the poll says former Vice President Joe Biden "would cruise to a comfortable victory in Indiana." One-third of the self-identifying Democrats who indicated they'd vote in next year's Democratic primary for president said they'd vote for Biden, compared to 23% for Sanders and 20% for Buttigieg. An additional 15% are undecided. 

The margin of error for the entire poll was 3.46 percentage points. A spokesman for the Buttigieg campaign declined to comment Thursday on the poll.

By contrast, more recent national polling of voters who indicate they'll vote in Democratic primaries puts his support in the mid-single digits, far behind Biden and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and closer to U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris. 

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The statewide poll also found that 47% of Hoosiers surveyed view Vice President Mike Pence favorably, compared to 41% who view him unfavorably. Nearly three out of four Republicans polled view him favorably, while 12% of Democrats view him favorably.

The poll also asked respondents how they view Gov. Eric Holcomb, Attorney General Curtis Hill, the direction of the state and the direction of the country. Click here to view the whole poll

There's plenty of time for Buttigieg to close the gap — or for Biden to widen it. The first Democratic debates -- a maximum of 20 candidates spread over two debates on consecutive nights -- are still over a month away.

Fox News Channel will also host a town hall with Buttigieg in New Hampshire. "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace will moderate the May 19 event. 

Andrew Clark is Facebook editor for IndyStar. Call him at 317-444-6484 or email him at andrew.clark@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Clarky_Tweets