The poll found that 75 percent of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents said they approved of the president, while almost a third said they wanted the GOP to nominate someone else in 2020. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo Elections Poll shows trouble for Trump, Dem voters undecided on early 2020 field

As the 2020 Democratic primary field for president begins to take shape, the race for a shot to unseat President Donald Trump is up for grabs, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released Tuesday.

With a handful of candidates already declared for what is expected to be a crowded 2020 Democratic primary, 56 percent of those polled did not offer a candidate of choice. Although no front-runner has yet emerged in the 2020 campaign's early going, Tuesday's poll did reveal warning signs for the president in his reelection bid.


The survey found that 56 percent of all respondents would “definitely not vote for" Trump to be reelected, compared with 28 percent who said they would “definitely” vote for Trump and 14 percent who said they would consider voting for him. Majorities of key demographics for Trump’s reelection hopes — women, suburbanites and independents — also ruled out voting for him in 2020.

The poll also showed some dissatisfaction with the president within his own party. While the poll found that 75 percent of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents said they approved of Trump, almost a third, 32 percent, said they want the GOP to nominate someone else in 2020.

Talk of a Republican primary challenge from the GOP's anti-Trump wing has prompted the party to take steps to shore up support for the president and head off White House bids from Trump's GOP critics like former Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan or former Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

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On the Democratic side, of the 44 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning independents who volunteered a preference for their party’s nomination, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris of California split the top billing, though they garnered only 9 percent and 8 percent of the vote, respectively.

Among the 44 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Trump both received 4 percent, while 3 percent volunteered former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who launched her campaign earlier this month, got 2 percent of the vote.

Among Democrats who didn’t offer a candidate of choice, 43 percent indicated they had no opinion on who the nominee should be. Seven percent answered the open-ended question with “no one,” while 5 percent said “anyone” would do.

With a wide-open Democratic primary, voters also were split over priorities in nominating a candidate.

Forty-seven percent said it was a bigger priority to nominate a Democrat whose stance on the issues aligned with theirs, compared with 43 percent who said it was more important to find the nominee who is best positioned to beat Trump. The latter factor was more important for liberal Democrats than for more moderate ones, with 52 percent calling it more important to find a candidate to beat Trump compared with 37 percent of self-identified moderate and conservative Democrats.

The Post-ABC poll was conducted Jan. 21-24 and included a random national sample of 1,001 adults. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 points among adults and 5.5 points among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.