Former Obama White House senior adviser and ex-Hillary Clinton aide Jennifer Palmieri congratulated Independent Vermont Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders over his lead in the latest Des Moines Register poll, considered the “gold-standard” poll for the state.

Senator Sanders opened up his first lead of the primary season in the Des Moines Register poll published Friday, which placed Sanders in the lead at 20 percent, followed by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren at 17 percent, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 16 percent, and former Vice President Joe Biden at 15 percent.

According to The Des Moines Register, their poll “is often referred to as the ‘gold standard’ of polling because of its reputation for accuracy,” a fact that was not lost on Palmieri, who tweeted congratulations to Sanders — and even suggested it could be a harbinger of an eventual nomination.

“Congratulations to @BernieSanders and his campaign bc, if I am not mistaken, the person who has led this poll has gone on to be nominee in last six cycles,” Palmieri wrote, adding “Leading this poll is momentous.”

Congratulations to @BernieSanders and his campaign bc, if I am not mistaken, the person who has led this poll has gone on to be nominee in last six cycles. Leading this poll is momentous. — Jennifer Palmieri (@jmpalmieri) January 11, 2020

Friday’s release was the final DMR poll before votes are cast in the Iowa Caucuses, and significantly raises the stakes for the upcoming CNN/Des Moines Register debate next week.

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