Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are deadlocked in both Iowa and New Hampshire just three weeks before voting begins in early states, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll released Sunday.
In Iowa, Clinton holds a 48 to 45 percent lead over Sanders. The lead is reversed in New Hampshire, with Sanders taking 50 percent to Clinton's 46 percent. Both leads are within the poll's margins of error, making it a statistical tie. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is in a very distant third in each state, with five percent in Iowa and only one percent in New Hampshire.
The fact that Sanders is so close to Clinton has made for some uncomfortable emails from the campaign, but also some fundraising opportunities. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook sent an email to supporters Wednesday with the subject line "nervous," The Daily Caller reported. "I'm not trying to be dramatic about this situation (I swear! I'm really not!), but there's a situation developing in Iowa and New Hampshire that could change the course of this election," Mook wrote.
The Clinton campaign sent an email to supporters in New Hampshire appealing for donations, ABC News reported. "We're neck and neck in New Hampshire, and I need my best supporters like you with me," the email said. An email sent earlier in the week said: "Just four weeks from the New Hampshire primary the polls are (seriously!) tight."
The appeals to donors are not a surprise given that the two were nearly tied on the fundraising front in the last quarter of 2015, according to MarketWatch. The Clinton campaign boasted a $37 million fourth quarter, but Sanders was right behind with $33 million. For the year, however, there was a $40 million differential with $112 million for Clinton and $73 million for Sanders.
