Clinton’s lead grows in national poll

Hillary Clinton is solidifying her lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the race for next year’s Democratic presidential nomination, according to a new poll.

{mosads}The CNN/ORC International survey released Monday found that Clinton has an 18-point lead over the Vermont lawmaker among Democratic primary voters nationwide.

Clinton grabs 42 percent support, pollsters found, contrasted with 24 percent for Sanders, her closest competitor. Vice President Biden trails the pair with 22 percent, followed by former Gov. Martin O’Malley with 1 percent.

The poll also found that Clinton’s support rises further if Biden decides against a third Oval Office bid. Clinton receives 57 percent should the vice president sit out next election cycle. It added that Sanders gets 28 percent in that scenario, while O’Malley gets 2 percent.

Clinton remains the front-runner across multiple national polls.

She commands 44.7 percent to Sanders’ 23.3 percent, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of samplings.

Sanders has gained ground on Clinton in early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire, however.

The latest CNN/ORC poll sampled 392 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents Sept. 17-19. It has a 5-percent margin of error.