Poll Shows Clinton, Sanders in Virtual Tie as 'Dems Nationwide Feel the Bern'

Sen. Bernie Sanders, how has now drawn close to even with rival Hillary Clinton, at a town meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo: Gage Skidmore/flickr/cc)

Poll Shows Clinton, Sanders in Virtual Tie as 'Dems Nationwide Feel the Bern'

Quinnipiac University National poll also shows Sanders beating Clinton in matchups against all Republican candidates.

A poll released Friday shows Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in a virtual tie nationwide in the Democratic race, representing a major slide down in support for the former secretary of state from a poll less than seven weeks ago.

The new Quinnipiac University National poll (pdf) shows Clinton at 44 percent while Sanders is at 42 percent. The survey of over 480 Democrats has a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percentage points, making it a neck-and-neck race.

"Democrats nationwide are feeling the Bern as Sen. Bernie Sanders closes a 31-point gap to tie Secretary Hillary Clinton," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, referring to the lead the former secretary of state held in the university's December 22 poll.

The new poll also shows that Sanders would do better than Clinton in match-ups against all the Republican candidates.

In a race against Donald Trump, for example, Clinton wins 46 to 41 percent, but Sanders has a ten-point lead in that face-off, 49 to 39 percent. And while Clinton is even with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas at 45 percent, Sanders has the edge at 46 to 42 percent. Clinton trails Marco Rubio 48 to 41 percent, but Sanders ties the Florida senator 43 to 43 percent.

The results come hours after a one-on-one debate in New Hampshire between the two Democratic candidates in which they discussed issues including the definition of a progressive, Clinton's ties to Wall Street, and the campaign finance system.

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