One in three Democrats believe President Joe Biden should withdraw from the race, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted following last week's debate against

Republican Donald Trump. Despite calls for Biden to step aside, the poll indicates that no prominent elected Democrat performs better than Biden in hypothetical matchups against Trump.

The two-day survey, which concluded on Tuesday, reveals that both Trump, aged 78, and Biden, aged 81, maintain the support of 40% of registered voters, suggesting Biden's standing has not significantly eroded since the debate. The election is scheduled for November 5.

Among the top Democrats considered in the poll, only Michelle Obama, former First Lady and author of the best-selling memoir "Becoming," outperformed Biden, leading Trump by 50% to 39% in a hypothetical matchup. However, Michelle Obama has repeatedly stated she has no intention to run for president.

Thirty-two percent of Democrats surveyed believe Biden should withdraw from the race following a debate in which he appeared hesitant and failed to vigorously counter Trump's attacks, which included several false claims.

While Biden remains committed to staying in the race, the poll suggests that potential replacements from within the Democratic ranks, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, perform similarly or less favorably against Trump in hypothetical matchups compared to Biden. For instance, Harris trailed Trump by just one percentage point, 42% to 43%, a statistical tie given the poll's margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Harris, who has increasingly emerged as a prominent voice in the administration on issues like abortion rights, enjoys a favorable rating from 81% of Democratic voters, slightly higher than Biden's 78%.

The poll also reflects Democratic skepticism about Biden's candidacy, with 59% viewing him as too old to effectively serve in government, consistent with findings from a January poll.

Other potential Democratic contenders, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, performed marginally worse than Biden against Trump, while figures like Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, despite being less known nationally, showed competitive margins against Trump in the survey.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted online, surveyed 1,070 U.S. adults nationwide. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.