New England may be Sen. Bernard Sanders’ home turf, but a new poll released Monday shows Hillary Clinton poised to win Massachusetts on Super Tuesday.
Mrs. Clinton has the support of 50 percent of Massachusetts Democrats, compared to 42 percent for Mr. Sanders, according to a Suffolk University survey. Democratic voters in Massachusetts will go to the polls Tuesday in one of 11 presidential primary contests that ultimately could decide the party’s nominee.
While Mr. Sanders handily won New Hampshire earlier this month and looks like a sure bet to win his home state of Vermont, he’s struggling to catch up to Mrs. Clinton in Massachusetts.
“Hillary Clinton is hovering around 50 percent, and while Bernie Sanders has come a long way in Massachusetts since his campaign began to gain traction last November, he’s still just nipping at the edge of the margin of error,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.
The survey shows that Mrs. Clinton leads Mr. Sanders among voters over 45 years of age, while Mr. Sanders is capturing a strong majority of younger voters.
Mrs. Clinton also leads among women, capturing 55 percent to Mr. Sanders’ 36 percent. That gender advantage could be the key to a Clinton win in Massachusetts, as women are expected to make up as much as 60 percent of the vote in the Massachusetts primary, the Suffolk University poll says.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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