Sanders Takes National Lead Over Clinton For First Time In Major Poll

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., addresses supporters during a town hall, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has overtaken former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as frontrunner in the national Democratic primary, according to a Fox News poll released Thursday.

The Fox News poll showed Sanders beating Clinton by 47 percent to 44 percent. This indicates that the Vermont Senator has closed the 12-point gap separating them when the same poll was conducted in January, when Clinton led by 49 percent to 37 percent.

This is the first major poll to suggest that he has taken the lead over the longtime frontrunner who came into the 2016 cycle as the presumptive nominee. Sanders has enjoyed a surge in support that has lasted for at least a month, as he won the New Hampshire primary and narrowly lost to Clinton in Iowa.

No other polling has shown Sanders leading in nationwide support, and most has shown Clinton retaining a significant lead over Sanders, albeit a narrower one than she enjoyed a month ago. TPM’s PollTracker Average shows Clinton at 49 percent and Sanders at 42.1 percent.

The Fox News poll was carried out Feb. 15-17 by live telephone interview. Pollsters surveyed 429 respondents, with a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

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Notable Replies

  1. …and Obama’s approval rating is above water for the first time in years.

    Targeted polling anyone?

  2. Avatar for sandyh sandyh says:

    Republicans want to run against a socialist so badly they can’t hold back their salivating. Faux News doesn’t poll, they make it up as they go along.

  3. Q26. Whoever is elected president will be on television constantly for at least four years. Thinking about ALL of the candidates currently running for president, which ONE would you MOST DREAD watching on television for four years?

    Make your guess, then go see the poll, and check if your guess is correct or not.

  4. OMG, those questions at the end. Laughable in their nakedness.

  5. Avatar for darcy darcy says:

    This is Huff Post clickability. Congrats TPM.

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