Pence would be a more dangerous rival to Biden than Trump, polling shows

The presidential race would be closer if Mike Pence took over from Donald Trump but would still result in victory for Joe Biden.

Joe Biden speaks at an event during a campaign stop in Miami, Florida. Picture: AFP

The US presidential election race would be closer if Mike Pence took over from Donald Trump but would still result in a victory for Joe Biden, polling suggested on Tuesday.

Mr Pence, 61, is the most favoured Republican to replace Mr Trump if the President cannot continue. He will be in the spotlight on Thursday (AEDT) for the vice-presidential TV debate with Kamala Harris, Mr Biden’s running mate.

Mr Biden, 77, who has endured ridicule from the President and his campaign for taking strict precautions during the pandemic, said he was prepared to debate with Mr Trump in nine days as planned so long as doctors agreed that it was safe.

“If the scientists say that it’s safe, the distances are safe, then I think that’s fine. I’ll do whatever the experts say is the appropriate thing to do,” Mr Biden said Tuesday (AEDT) as he headed to Miami, the city hosting the second presidential debate, for a speech to Latino voters.

The entire Biden team and ­accompanying journalists wore masks and at one point Mr Biden’s wife, Jill, pulled him back from ­reporters. Mr Biden added: “I think we should be very cautious as I’ve thought all along”.

The first head-to-head polling taken since Mr Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis was ­announced on Friday puts Mr Pence on 42 per cent among likely voters, against Mr Biden on 49 per cent, YouGov found. That is ­slightly closer than the company found for the Trump-Biden showdown, putting the President on 43 per cent and the Democratic challenger on 51 per cent.

In the case of a presidential fight between Mr Pence and Senator Harris, in the event that Mr Biden drops out, the 55-year-old Democrat has the edge with likely votes by 48 to 45 per cent.

Asked who should replace Mr Trump as the Republican presidential nominee should he no longer be able to continue, 65 per cent of Republican voters named Mr Pence.

Vice-President Mike Pence and his wife Karen wave before departing Andrews Air Force Base to travel to Salt Lake City, Utah. Picture: AFP

Nearly one in five — 18 per cent — said they were not sure and the next most popular choice was Ted Cruz, 49, a senator from Texas who ran against Mr Trump in the 2016 primary contest and has since become a close ally. Senator Cruz was suggested by 7 per cent of ­Republican voters. Mitt Romney, a senator from Utah who was the Republican candidate in 2012, polled 4 per cent. Two others polled 1 per cent each: Marco Rubio, a Florida senator who sought the nomination in 2016, and Paul Ryan, the former ­Speaker who has retired from the House of Representatives.

Senator Harris withdrew from the campaign on Monday to prepare for the vice-presidential TV debate with Mr Pence, which will be held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Mr Pence travelled to Utah with his wife Karen after both tested negative for the coronavirus. The two candidates will be seated 12 feet apart for the 90-minute debate after the Biden campaign objected to a plan to have them placed only seven feet apart.

Early in-person voting began on Monday in California, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska and South Carolina, joining 11 other states, including Maine, Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia.

The Times