The Democratic National Convention has been described as “political bedlam,” with a vocal minority on the first night booing and chanting to express their displeasure with the party and disappointment that Bernie Sanders didn’t win the nomination. But despite the ”Bernie or Bust” contingent, a new report shows that 90% of Democratic voters that have consistently supported Sanders now back Hillary Clinton in the general election against the republican candidate, Donald Trump.
The report, released Monday (July 25) by the Pew Research Center, traces Democratic voters’ support for candidates from March 2015 to June 2016.
Over the course of the survey period, 44% of Democratic voters changed their minds at least once. Some of those voters started off undecided, while others switched their support from Warren to Sanders or Clinton when Warren signaled she wouldn’t enter the race. Of those voters who switched, 9% said they would vote for Trump in the general election.
Sanders saw more consistent support from voters, with 20% of voters picking him as their top choice in every survey, compared to Clinton’s 15%. Clinton’s most consistent supporters, according to the report, are black Democrats, women, and voters with a college degree. They were also older; Clinton consistently saw support from 39% of voters over 65, while Sanders was consistently picked by 35% of voters under 30.
The June survey was virtually completed before Sanders threw his support behind Clinton, but 90% of those who supported Sanders in April 2016 said they back Clinton over Trump for the general election. The “Bernie or Bust” movement may be passionate and loud, but it can claim only one in 10 Sanders supporters, and a small minority of Democratic voters as a whole.