BERKELEY (KRON) — Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is becoming a clear front runner in California’s Democratic primary election, according to new data in a poll conducted this month by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies.

The poll was conducted from Jan. 15-21.

When is California’s Primary?

California’s primary election is on March 3 — also known as Super Tuesday, when a handful of states will conduct its primary vote.

The state’s with primary elections on March 3 account for roughly a third of the U.S. population.

A candidate must earn 15 percent of the primary vote in California to secure the delegates for nomination.

Who’s Leading California’s Primary?

Sanders, a senator from Vermont, holds 26 percent of the Democratic primary vote, with the strongest hold over California’s young people.

Support for Sanders has increased from 24 percent in November and from 17 percent in June.

The poll data, released Tuesday, shows Sanders holding 54 percent of the vote from Californians under the age of 30 — while fellow Democratic candidate Joe Biden holds just 4 percent of voters in the same demographic.

Sander’s hold over the young vote is “striking,” the new poll says.

Other Contenders

Coming in as the likely second-place contender in California’s primary — Elizabeth Warren, who has 20 percent of the overall vote, the poll shows.

Biden trails behind at 15 percent, along with Buttigieg with 7 percent.

Twelve percent of Californians are still undecided as of this month, the poll shows.

Democratic Candidate Most Likely to Win in General Election

Despite Sanders’ lead among California voters, Biden remains the most capable candidate to beat Donald Trump in November, the poll showed.

Thirty-two percent say Biden is most capable of winning in the General Election.

As far as what fuels someone’s vote in California — 53 percent place priority on nominating a Democrat based on their chance of defeating Trump as opposed to a candidate’s views on certain issues.

The poll points out 80 percent of voters under the age of 30 are more likely to vote based on which candidate their views line up to.

In contrast, 72 percent of voters over 65 will vote based on who can beat Trump, the poll shows.

The view the results of the UC Berkeley poll in its entirety, click here.