Elizabeth Warren Has Lead Among Women of Color Activists, Says She The People Poll

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) waves to a crowd at the She The People Presidential Forum at Texas Southern University on April 24, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Sergio Flores/Getty Images)

A new straw poll conducted by the organization She The People found that Sen. Elizabeth Warren is ahead in the Democratic presidential candidate field, among women of color activists surveyed. Released ahead of the upcoming Florida presidential debates, the poll was conducted among women of color leaders, political strategists, organizers, and activists. Nearly 50 percent of respondents backed Warren as their first-choice candidate. Trailing Warren was Sen. Kamala Harris with 25.2 percent, Vice President Joe Biden with 13.8 percent and Sen. Bernie Sanders with 5.5 percent of the votes.

“Women of color are going to gravitate toward candidates who are both championing bold policies nationally and investing in communities locally,” said She the People Founder Aimee Allison in a press release. “We’ll be watching the debates closely to see which candidates speak directly to our concerns.”

She The People held a policy-based presidential forum in Houston, TX on April 24. Over eight hours, eight of the 19 declared Democratic candidates made their case in relation to issues that affect Black women, Latinas and other women of color.

Before the forum, in December, She The People held a poll where 264 women of color leaders were surveyed, only 22.3 percent of respondents listed Sen. Warren in their top three choices. Kamala Harris got 71.1 percent of the vote during that poll.

“The new results show a stark change in polling following the historic She the People presidential forum in April,” the press release reads.

“Addressing our issues, both on the debate stage and in policy platforms, is the key to selecting a candidate who will mobilize and expand the base,” said Allison. The poll also found that some of the issues women of color cared most about were voting rights, police violence, and access to reproductive healthcare.