Steyer Campaign Press Release - Steyer Campaign: Brand New Race Begins After New Hampshire

Real Clear Politics average shows Steyer in top tier of candidates in Nevada and South Carolina

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA, February 12, 2020) — After New Hampshire, a wide open race for the Democratic nomination shifts dramatically to diverse states that favor Tom Steyer's message and coalition. Recent poll averages in Nevada and South Carolina show a new ranking of candidates emerging with Tom Steyer firmly in the top tier. The Real Clear Politics (RCP) average in South Carolina shows Steyer in second place with 18.5% support, ahead of Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Mayor Peter Buttigieg. In Nevada, the RCP average shows Steyer closing in on third place, 1.5 points behind Warren and three points ahead of Buttigieg.

"This race is wide open," said Campaign Manager Heather Hargreaves. "As we head into Nevada and South Carolina, we're preparing for a brand new contest with a diverse electorate that sees Tom Steyer firmly in the top tier."

"For months we have been seeing Tom's message of being the candidate best prepared to go toe-to-toe with Trump on the economy breaking through with voters of color in Nevada and South Carolina. These voters understand what's at stake in November, and know that establishment Democrats and untested newcomers won't cut it in the general election. This diverse coalition of voters sees Tom as the unconventional outsider committed to giving power back to the people left out of our political system for far too long. We will work hard in the coming weeks to continue meeting and connecting with these voters in this brand new phase of the most consequential election of our lifetimes."

Steyer has been surging in the late-February early states, with the most recent Morning Consult early state tracker showing him in third place with 19% support, only 4 points behind first-placed Vice President Joe Biden. A January 9, 2020 Fox News Poll showed Steyer in second place in South Carolina with 15% support, and third in Nevada with 12%. In a Charleston Post and Courier poll released a day before the Iowa caucus, Steyer surged to second place amongst African Americans in South Carolina, receiving the support of 24% of black voters, just 6 points behind Biden. Overall, the poll showed Biden's lowest total number of support to date in the primary at just 25% with Steyer only 7 points behind at 18%.