Howard Dean has emerged as the leading presidential choice among Democratic Party leaders, with more than twice the support of his closest rivals, according to a new Los Angeles Times Poll.
But the former Vermont governor is far from a consensus candidate, despite his recent run of success. About seven in 10 of the Democratic National Committee members interviewed said they backed some other contestant or remained undecided.
The poll shows the progress Dean has made as a candidate in the last year. A similar sample taken in November 2002 found Dean in fifth place out of 10 prospective White House contenders. He was unknown to nearly half the people questioned.
At the same time, the new survey suggests the Democratic contest remains fluid. With just more than a month left until the first votes are cast, roughly one in five of the Democratic National Committee members had not decided whom to support in the party’s nominating fight.
"Though Dean is ahead in virtually every way you can measure this race, there clearly is some resistance to his nomination within the party establishment," said Charles Cook, editor and publisher of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Dean was favored by 32 percent of the Democratic leaders surveyed, followed by Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri at 15 percent and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts at 14 percent.
Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark had 7 percent support, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina 5 percent, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman 3 percent and former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois 1 percent. Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich and the Rev. Al Sharpton each had less than 1 percent backing.
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