Sanders’s New Hampshire lead holds in new CNN poll

Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) maintained his lead over his opponents for the Democratic presidential nomination in New Hampshire, according to a poll released days before the first-in-the-nation primary. 

Support for Sanders increased 3 points from a January poll to 28 percent, according to a CNN poll released Sunday conducted by the University of New Hampshire. 

Sanders holds a 7 point lead over his closest competitor in the poll, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg. 

Buttigieg pulled into second at 21 percent, with a 6 point increase since the January poll. Buttigieg has had an increase in support since October when he registered at 10 percent, and finally passed former Vice President Joe Biden in the poll of the Granite State. 

Biden’s support dipped 4 points, down to 11 percent pushing him into third place, based on the poll. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is in fourth place at 9 percent, a 3 point decrease since January’s poll. 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) registered at 6 percent, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) at 5 percent and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang is at 4 percent, based on the poll. 

Sanders won New Hampshire in his 2016 primary race against Hillary Clinton. He’s heading into the first-in-the-nation primary fresh off his success in Iowa. Sanders and Buttigieg are in dead heat for the Iowa win, with each claiming victory after the chaotic caucuses. 

The poll was conducted Feb. 5 to Feb. 8 and surveyed 384 likely Democratic primary voters. There is a margin of error plus or minus 5 percentage points.