NV and SC Polls: Clinton Far Ahead

Iowa and New Hampshire have proven to be fertile ground for Bernie Sanders, but when the terrain shifts to more diverse states, Hillary Clinton continues to dominate. CNN has new poll data in both states:

Clinton has the support of 50% of those who say they are likely to attend the Democratic caucus scheduled for February 20 in Nevada — which plays host to the first debate among the declared Democratic candidates on Tuesday and is the first state to elect delegates after Iowa and New Hampshire.

Sanders follows at 34%, then Vice President Joe Biden at 12%, with the rest of the field garnering less than 1% support.

In South Carolina, the numbers are similar:

Among those who say they are likely to vote in South Carolina’s primary, set for one week after Nevada’s caucuses, Clinton holds a larger edge, 49% to Biden’s 24%, with Sanders at 18% and former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley at 3%.

If Biden stays out of the race, Clinton’s lead over Sanders balloons to 58-36 in Nevada and 70-20 in South Carolina.

In South Carolina, where in 2008, blacks made up a majority of the Democratic primary electorate

59% of black voters say they back Clinton, 27% say Biden and just 4% for Sanders. Among white voters, Sanders has the edge, 44% to 31% for Clinton and 22% for Biden. Without Biden in the race, it’s a near-even split among whites, 48% Clinton to 47% Sanders, while blacks break 84% to Clinton and just 7% would back Sanders.

Two takeaways from this data: first, Joe Biden takes virtually all his support from Hillary Clinton, and second, Bernie Sanders has not made significant inroads with African-American voters. Keep an eye on both trends moving forward.

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