Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders continues to gain ground on Hillary Clinton in the first primary state of New Hampshire, according to a new poll that places the democratic socialist in a statistical tie with the former secretary of state.
The CNN-WMUR primary poll released Thursday shows Clinton with 43 percent support of likely Democratic primary voters, compared to Sanders' 35 percent.
But with the poll's 5.2 percentage point margin of error, Clinton and Sanders are effectively in a statistical tie, explained the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, which conducted the survey.
When asked which Democratic candidate would best represent the values of Democrats, 41 percent said Sanders, while only 30 percent said Clinton.
Thirty-six percent said Sanders would be the best candidate to deal with big banks and corporations, compared to 31 percent for Clinton.
Most respondents, 45 percent, also believe that Sanders cares the most about "people like you," whereas only 24 percent said they think Clinton cares about them.
Clinton has traditionally been fairly popular in New Hampshire, but her favorability ratings have dropped nearly 20 points since February, while Sanders' have been rising.
Still, Clinton received an overall 74 percent favorability rating in New Hampshire, while Sanders received 66 percent.
His negative ratings are lower than hers, though, making their net favorability ratings equal at 55 percent, according to The New York Times.
It's the third poll in recent weeks showing Sanders closing the previously significant gap separating him from Clinton in New Hampshire. Clinton had a 10 percentage point lead over Sanders in a Suffolk University poll released last week, and a Morning Consult poll placed Clinton 12 points ahead.
While describing oneself as a democratic socialist seems like a risky move in an overwhelmingly capitalist political arena, Sanders' policy positions appear to have struck a chord with many voters.
Forty-seven percent of Americans said they would consider voting for a socialist for president, including 59 percent of Democrats, according to a Gallup poll from earlier this week.
Being that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is not running for president, Sanders has been able to shore up much of the Democratic Party's progressive wing.
He's also been attracting the largest crowds of any candidate, pulling more than 5,000 supporters at a campaign stop in Colorado last week, according to The Hill.
Despite the promising results in New Hampshire, it's still too early to realistically gauge how much support Sanders will have in the state.
When respondents were asked which candidate has "the personal characteristics and qualities that you think a president should have," Clinton beat out Sanders 38 percent to 27 percent.
As for which candidate is the strongest leader, 56 percent said Clinton, while 13 percent said Sanders, though that is up from just 3 percent in May.
Clinton was also seen as better equipped to handle the economy, terrorism, international trade policy and health care policy.
However, Clinton was viewed as the least honest candidate, with 28 percent of respondents distrusting her, while only 2 percent viewed Sanders in the same light.
The poll interviewed 1,010 voters from June 18-24, including 360 people who said they plan to vote in the Democratic primary.
Nationally, Sanders continues to trail Clinton, according to a Huffington Post poll which shows Clinton with 59 percent and Sanders with less than 15 percent.
