Democrats Split Over Biden Run, New Poll Shows

A new poll suggests Democrats are divided over whether Vice President Joe Biden should enter the 2016 race for president.

Speculation over a potential Biden run has spiked this week, but according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll while some 30% of Democrats are ready for Joe, about 38% want him to sit this one out.

The poll, which has a plus or minus 4.9% margin of error, comes on the heels of an ABC/Washington Post poll that shows former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gaining substantial ground among her opponents—including yet-to-enter Biden—following her strong debate performance last week. According to that poll, Clinton has the support of about 54% of Democrats, up from 42% in September, and Biden has the support of about 16%, down from 21% a month ago. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has 23% in the ABC/WaPo poll.

If Biden does enter the race this week, it’s hard to imagine him finding time to squeeze in a campaign launch on Tuesday—the Vice President is scheduled to deliver remarks at the Walter Mondale: Living Legacy forum, have lunch with the President, meet with the Secretary of State, host a reception and deliver remarks at a gala.

See more poll results at NBC News.