Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are virtually tied in what is shaping up to be an extremely exciting and close race for the Democrat Party nomination. A newly released survey by Quinnipiac University shows that Sanders edges Clinton 41% to 40% in Democrat voter support. Joe Biden, who is still considering a late entry into the race, managed to achieve third place and 12% in the poll.
Sanders has made significant strides since the last poll. Meanwhile, Clinton appears to be losing support. The once undisputed front-runner continues to be plagued by questions regarding her usage of a private email server while she was in office. The last Quinnipiac survey two months ago showed that Clinton led Sanders by 21%.
The new poll comes as a case of deja-vu for Clinton. It’s difficult not to recall 2008 when Clinton quickly lost support to eventual winner President Barack Obama. While Clinton is still widely seen as the favorite to lead the Democrat Party in 2016, the recent rise from Sanders certainly adds some new drama to the race.
Quinnipiac pollster Peter A. Brown said, “He is the candidate of the Democratic left, against his own party’s bosses and their prized presidential candidate. Sanders has seized the momentum by offering a message more in line with disproportionately liberal primary and caucus voters.”
Even Clinton eventually loses the Iowa and New Hampshire polls, her financial and political power will still most likely make her a serious candidate in the states that vote next. This is especially true for southern states. That being said, Clinton’s ratings on key personality questions are causing some Democrat voters to reconsider. This week, Clinton issued a formal apology for her email practices. However, 30% of Democrats find Clinton dishonest and untrustworthy. Meanwhile, only 4% said the same of Sanders, and 5% said the same of Biden.
The Democrat race certainly seems to be heating up with the two leading candidates neck in neck. It will be interesting to see if Sanders can continue to gain support and if Clinton can recover from her email scandal.
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