Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is getting ahead of his rival, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a new poll from Suffolk University.
According to the poll conducted from Jan. 19 to 21, Sanders has a nine-point lead against Clinton, weeks from the New Hampshire primary. Sanders now has a 50 percent rating, while Clinton has 41 percent. Trailing far behind is former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley with two percent. The poll also revealed that six percent likely voters are still undecided.
In all of the New England state, Sanders gained an 80 percent favorable rating, while 12 percent do not think of him favorably. As for Clinton, 71 percent view her favorably, while 23 percent unfavorably.
Despite the high favorability ratings the Vermont senator garnered, the poll also revealed that likely Democratic voters have higher probability to go for Clinton when it comes to gun control issues. Clinton is also believed to have a better chance of defeating a Republican candidate in the general elections this November.
"Familiarity and favorability are winning the day for Bernie Sanders," David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, said in a statement. "But given voters' thoughts about the gun control issue and who is more likely to win in November, the Clinton campaign might gain by pointing out Sanders' vulnerabilities in these areas," he added.
Meanwhile, another poll conducted by CNN/ORC by telephone from Jan. 15 to 20 also showed Sanders' increased ratings in Iowa. He garnered 51 percent, while Clinton has 43 percent, showing a significant shift in the former's numbers from December.
In an earlier survey by CNN/WMUR, Sanders was also doing well in New Hampshire, putting him on the lead with 60 percent as opposed to Clinton's 33 percent, making that a whopping 27-point gap between them.
