A new poll of New Hampshire voters has underscored the staying power of the anti-establishment campaigns that are animating voters in both parties, with Donald Trump leading Republicans and Bernie Sanders ahead of Hillary Clinton.
According to the poll from Franklin Pierce University and the Boston Herald, Donald Trump has maintained his lead in the first primary contest state, leading the GOP field by far with 33% support — nearly 20 points ahead of his closest rival, Ted Cruz.
The Republican field is crowded behind Trump, with Cruz cementing his place as the leading alternative to the current front-runner. Cruz registers 14% support, ahead of John Kasich, recently endorsed by influential regional newspaper the Boston Globe, with 12%, and Jeb Bush at 9%.
Marco Rubio is in fifth place with 8% support, trailed by Chris Christie with 7%, and Carly Fiorina with 5%. Ben Carson and Rand Paul round out the only other candidates attracting meaningful support with 4% and 3% respectively.
Meanwhile, Sanders continues to lead the Democratic race there with 55% support to Clinton’s 39%. Martin O’Malley polls at just 2%.
With just weeks to go before votes are cast in New Hampshire, the commanding leads by insurgent candidates in both parties are strong testaments to the influence of the anti-establishment sentiment.
Sanders’ continued polling dominance in New Hampshire comes as the race with Clinton in Iowa has tightened, potentially setting up the Vermont senator for a strong opening showing that propels a deeper run into the Democratic primary than many expected.
The poll was conducted January 20-24 among 444 likely GOP primary voters, with a margin of error at plus or minus 4.6 percentage points, and the Democratic side included 408 likely Democratic voters, with a margin of error of 4.8 percentage points.
New Hampshires voters head to the polls February 9.
