Last week scrambled the presidential race, bringing former Vice President Joe Biden back to the forefront, and leaving him and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders the last major contenders for the Democratic nomination.

So we turned to our Providence Journal Election Panel — 17 Rhode Islanders from all over the state, and of varying ages, genders and political viewpoints — to see what they make of the race so far. Fifteen of them responded to our questions.

Responses have been edited for clarity and space.

– Alan Rosenberg, executive editor

Diane Aceto, 68, of Cumberland

Affiliation: Unaffiliated

Previously supporting: Pete Buttigieg, Michael Bloomberg or Biden.

Who do you now support? Biden. He has the experience needed to be our president, and his plans are realistic.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Biden’s moderate views are more acceptable to conservative Democrats and unaffiliated voters than the far-left ideas of Sanders. The costs and unknowns of Sanders’ "Medicare for All" (and "free college," "free childcare," etc.) are risky propositions that could sway the election in Trump’s favor.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? Biden’s experience, integrity, respect and ability to listen to views that may not align with his, will help him win against Donald Trump in November.

Ann Anesta, 60, of Cranston

Affiliation: Unaffiliated, but leaning Democratic

Previously supporting: Liked Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren and Buttigieg, but keeping an open mind.

Who do you now support? I'm glad the Rhode Island primary isn't until the end of April, as I haven't made up my mind yet, but am leaning toward Biden. I think a Joe Biden presidency would be a good transition from the cruel, nationalistic, self-centered "what's in it for me" policies of Trump and Trump's GOP to an administration that can and is willing to work and compromise with Congress to enact progressive policies.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Biden. His success so far is based on a diverse group of supporters. The people who voted for Biden on Super Tuesday (blacks, women, moderates, suburbanites, among other demographic groups) are part of the coalition Democrats need to turn out in full force on Election Day to defeat Trump.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? Both Biden and Sanders would give Trump trouble; polls show both men besting Trump in many states.

Kavinda Arthenayake, 55, of Johnston

Affiliation: Democrat

Previously: Undecided, but leaning Democratic

Who do you now support? Biden. Three reasons: 1. Electability. 2. Has a much broader appeal including to moderates. 3. A centrist progressive candidate.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Biden. His broader appeal to leftists, centrists and moderates, and educated voters, which makes his electability much higher than Sanders’. He also has the ability to appeal to underrepresented voters, including African American voters (as he did in Super Tuesday) and eventually Latino and Asian American voters.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? Biden. He is the antithesis to the current occupant of the White House. He has the "ordinary Joe" appeal that resonates with ordinary people, and the ability to connect with voters in key states such as Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania that matter because of electoral vote count. In addition, unlike in 2016, with Joe Biden there is the added bonus of the "likability" factor.

Monique Auger, 67, of Woonsocket

Affiliation: Unaffiliated

Previously supporting: President Donald Trump

Who do you now support? Nothing has changed for me. I still support President Trump.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Biden. All indications are it will be a contested convention, and the superdelegates will once again ensure Sanders is not the nominee.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? Biden. However, his downfall will be Bernie Sanders’ supporters, who will become disenfranchised and sit this one out.

READ: How we chose our Election Panel

Gloria De Paola, 84, of East Greenwich

Previously supporting: Michael Bloomberg, or Biden with Elizabeth Warren as vice president.

Who do you now support? Biden, because he has a better chance to beat the president. Most voters are comfortable with his moderate views, and his nice-guy persona will make Trump look like a bully.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Biden. A lot of what Bernie Sanders says about conditions in the U.S. (medical care, economic inequality, etc.) is true, but Bernie is 10 years ahead of his time. And he's too angry.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? Bloomberg would have given Trump a very strong run — he's a smart, tough fellow New Yorker who is quick to respond to Trump's insults and tweets. And, of course, he has loads of money. But I feel much better about Democrats' chances than I did before Super Tuesday.

Tom Foley, 79, of Westerly

Affiliation: Republican

Previously supporting: President Trump

Who do you now support? Trump. He is a strong, decisive leader. He is a fiscal conservative whose policies have led to a booming economy and low unemployment. He has led the needed restructuring of our international treaties with Canada and Mexico. His polices have encouraged NATO members to contribute their fair share. He has been aggressive with China and other countries over trade and is getting results.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Biden. I don’t think Sanders can get enough overall support to be nominated. Sanders is the choice of the younger people, but the older people remember the debacle when George McGovern was chosen to run in 1972.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? I don’t think any potential Democratic nominee would give Trump a tough race. But Biden would be tougher than Sanders because of his support in the African American community. Trump’s booming economy makes it his race to lose. He has a good message for African Americans as well as others. His immigration policies may hurt him in the Latino communities but not as much as the mainstream media would have us believe. A good economy and low unemployment are a tough combination to beat. But he has to run a strong, positive campaign.

Elizabeth "Lisa" Goddard, 69, of Newport

Affiliation: Unaffiliated

Previously supporting: Likely a Democrat but undecided about which one.

Who do you now support? Joe Biden. Initially I was concerned about what seemed like a lack of energy and enthusiasm on his part and lack of ability to stand up in the debates, but he’s come alive in the last month. I think he represents the kind of leadership that I’m most comfortable with, somebody who is a people person, who has tremendous experience, and who is incredibly empathetic and who is a good example of someone who will bring the country together.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Biden. I think he speaks for the majority of the party. I think most people in general don’t want an extreme.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? Joe Biden. He presents the biggest contrast to Trump as a person. He clearly has years and years of experience in leading this country. And I think he has demonstrated success in bringing diverse groups together in support of him.

Joe McCormack, 71, of East Greenwich

Affiliation: Republican

Previously supporting: President Trump

Who do you now support? Trump. He has done a great job as president. His work on renegotiating trade agreements, securing our border, the economy, and national defense, while being attacked relentlessly, is outstanding. I can only imagine what he could accomplish with a Congress that is willing to work for the good of the country, not a partisan political agenda.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Biden. Based upon the Super Tuesday results, it appears the Democratic party has united against Bernie Sanders and his policies. I think they have calculated that even if Biden loses the presidential race, the loss will do less damage to the party’s candidates down-ballot than if Sanders is their candidate.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? At this point I don't see either Democratic candidate doing well in a race against President Trump.

READ: Our readers speak: 17 Rhode Islanders share their views on the 2020 presidential race

Fran O’Brien, 71, of South Kingstown

Affiliation: Unaffiliated

Previously supporting: Biden or Buttigieg, but would reluctantly support Trump over Warren or Sanders.

Who do you now support? Biden. I think Bernie Sanders is too far left. I don’t think his program would work in this country. And as far as Donald Trump, I don’t necessarily disagree with a lot of his policies. Some I certainly do, but confronting the Chinese on their trade policies was appropriate. I think you can’t let terrorists terrorize the world with impunity. It’s just more his style. I can’t support President Trump. I couldn’t support Bernie Sanders. So I would support Joe Biden.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? I think Bernie Sanders still has a lot of support, but I think in the final analysis Joe Biden will be the candidate.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? I think Biden for sure. If I had to bet money, I would think the president would get reelected, but I don’t think personally there’s any chance that Bernie Sanders could beat President Trump.

Connor O’Neal, 17, of Barrington

Affiliation: Unaffiliated

Previously supporting: Buttigieg

Who do you now support? I support Former Vice President Joe Biden, in the hopes that he will announce Mayor Pete Buttigieg as his running mate.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? I believe that it will be Joe Biden, as he has drawn support from a wide variety of former presidential contenders, including Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Mark Bloomberg and Beto O'Rourke.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? Mitt Romney, if he entered the race late, as an independent, because he's shown his ability to draw support from moderate Democrats and Republicans. He's also demonstrated that he is fair and impartial through his leadership during the impeachment trial, and has become (I believe) a bipartisan who has the respect of both parties.

Tyler Piekarski, 20, of Smithfield

Affiliation: Republican

Previously supporting: Unsure

Who do you now support? Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Although I’m a Republican, we need someone who will be honest with us and not vilify the other side. Tulsi is a moderate Democrat, she has the ability to unite and reach across the aisle. She has done this in the past with things like veterans’ job training and gun control. In a more realistic view, if Sanders is the nominee I’ll be voting for Trump. If it comes down to Trump and Biden, it is going to be a very close call.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? My prediction is that no one will win enough delegates, and we will go to a contested convention.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? Gabbard. She has moderate and Republican appeal. An analysis from FiveThirtyEight.com found that her supporters are more likely to have backed President Trump in 2016, hold conservative views, or identify as a Republican than voters backing the other candidates. Meaning she has the best potential to take away moderate and even some Republican support that Trump needs to win reelection.

Bruce Powers, 55, of Burrillville

Affiliation: Unaffiliated

Previously supported: Preferred Buttigieg or Klobuchar but would support any Democrat over Trump.

Who do you now support? Joe Biden.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Biden. I think that after the Republican Senate failed to put on a fair trial to hold President Trump accountable, people realized there really is no regular check and balance that will stop him or prevent him from taking further actions. I think people are more willing to put aside things that they want, and have seen that what we really need is someone who can take President Trump out of the White House.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? Biden would. Joe Biden provides the president with fewer things to attack. If it was Bernie Sanders, I think President Trump would go after him for his further left views, and would attack him as being socialist, and would try to stoke up everybody’s fears about socialism.

Manuel R. "Manny" Silva Jr., 54, of Cranston

Affiliation: Unaffiliated

Previously supporting: No one

Who do you now support? Biden, due to his more centrist views. I believe he’s the best candidate to take on and defeat the current president.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Biden. He appears to have greater support among minority voters as well as moderate Democrats. I believe these two groups are greater in size than those on the far left who are supporting Sanders.

Who would give President Trump the toughest race? Biden, because in my view the only way the Democratic candidate can win in November is to have support of a good number of moderate Republicans, and the only remaining candidate moderate Republicans will be willing to support is Biden.

Brendan Snodgrass, 42, of Woonsocket

Affiliation: Republican

Previously supporting: Former R.I. Gov. Lincoln Chafee (Libertarian)

Who do you now support? Chafee. He has been on the right side of almost every major event in last 30 years: opposed Iraq invasion; opposed 38 Studios deal; early supporter of marriage equality; strong fiscal management. He is the only candidate to seriously talk about tackling the national debt and deficit.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Joe Biden, because he has support from liberal, moderate and conservative Democrats. Sanders is running in the Democratic primary but is not a Democrat, which ultimately contributed to his primary loss in 2016.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? Sanders. It would be left-wing populism versus right-wing populism. Plus, he has few, if any, major scandals for Trump to pound on.

Nicole Tingle, 28, of Providence

Affiliation: Democratic

Previously supporting: Biden

Who do you now support? Joe Biden. He has been in the White House as vice president, so he would know how to move forward and get policies pushed through that will be a positive impact to communities of color especially.

Who do you think will be the Democratic nominee? Because of Super Tuesday, Biden has a lot of momentum.

Who would give Trump the toughest race? I’ve seen a lot of Bernie supporters on social media and in the community, but I’m not sure if they will be out at the polls. I think Biden, if he continues to have the black vote and people do come out and vote, he has a really solid chance.

— With reports from Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner.