New polls may see some pressure on Biden's candidacy

Significance

Despite the party’s relative success in a handful of off-year state elections on November 7, the poll has caused anxiety among senior Democrats by raising, more starkly than before, the question of whether Biden is a candidate capable of winning.

Impacts

• Any change of candidate by the Democrats would likely be accompanied by pledges to continue Biden’s policies at home and abroad.
• There are a limited number of options of nationally known alternatives to Biden if Vice President Kamala Harris is not selected.
• Democrats will hope that the pre-election impact of Trump’s legal troubles will peak in the final weeks of the campaign.