Bernie narrows gap on Hillary in latest New York primary poll

http://thehilltalk.com/2016/04/01/bernie-narrows-gap-on-hillary-in-new-york/

Overcoming a massive abyss from just one month ago, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is closing in fast on Hillary Clinton’s once-insurmountable lead in the former Secretary of State’s adoptive home state of New York.

A March 22-29 Quinnipiac University phone poll indicates Sanders now trails Clinton among Empire State voters by 12 percentage points.

An early March poll conducted by Emerson College revealed Clinton held a significant 48-point lead over her only surviving rival.

Of the more telling poll results: (a) Clinton and Sanders are evenly divided among white Democrats; (b) Mr. Sanders holds a slight edge over Clinton with men, 49 percent to 46 percent; (c) Clinton still maintains a strong edge with white females with 59 percent to 37 percent; and (d) New York’s black community remains loyal to Clinton, giving her 63 percent support.

Unsurprisingly, Quinnipiac disclosed Clinton leads in a head-to-head race between all three GOP candidates in the state, besting billionaire Donald Trump by 20 percentage points, Texas’s Ted Cruz by 21 points and Ohio’s John Kasich by 5 points.

However, Sen. Sanders beats all three by wider margins: Quinnipiac results show Sanders is more popular in races between all three GOP contenders, beating Trump by 24 points, Cruz by 28 points and Kasich by ten points.

Uplifted by a string of overwhelming primary wins in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Utah and Washington, Sanders may have greater appeal in New York than once thought: born in Brooklyn, Sanders’ progressive message is resonating among New Yorkers and has a precedent.

The 2014 gubernatorial primary produced then-unknown law professor, Zephyr Teachout, a progressive who robbed incumbent Andrew Cuomo of an astounding 33.47 percent of the primary vote.

New York holds its Democratic primary on April 19.

Drawing 15,000 at a Bronx rally on Thursday evening, Mr. Sanders is aware a 12-point margin is far easier to erase in 19 days than a 48-point margin.