A recent survey found that most voters of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities believe former United States Vice President Joe Biden had the best chance of beating President Donald Trump.
The poll, conducted by Change Research and sponsored by Investingin.us and the AAPI Victory Fund, was released in connection to the first-ever AAPI Democratic Presidential Forum held in Costa Mesa, California.
The poll also gauged satisfaction levels for three AAPI candidates – Senator Kamala Harris, Representative Tulsi Gabbard and Andrew Yang. Harris is the first US Senator of Indian origin, Gabbard is the first Hindu running for US presidency and Yang is of Chinese origin.
The survey indicated a three-way tie among Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren among the AAPI voters in the US. Voters of Indian descent are likeliest by far to support Biden, AAPI Victory Fund said in a statement.
AAPI voters were most enthusiastic about Harris and Yang; roughly 55 per cent would be satisfied with these two, and 15-20 per cent unsatisfied. However, irrespective of the candidate they supported, voters felt Biden was the one likeliest to beat Trump, the report said.
"We found that, while AAPI voters are roughly aligned with other Democratic primary voters on their Presidential preferences, their choices are being guided by concerns that are unique to their communities," said Ben Greenfield of Change Research.
"They feel direct threats from White nationalism, racial and religious profiling, and are even more focused than other Democratic primary voters on issues like education and preventing gun violence," he said.