New Hampshire Presidential Primary

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE:  Sunday, November 11, 2007

Contact:        Dr. Lee M. Miringoff

Dr. Barbara L. Carvalho

Marist College

845.575.5050

This Marist College Institute for Public Opinion poll reports:

Democratic Presidential Primary 2008

·             Hillary Clinton’s lead narrows among likely Democratic primary voters:  Hillary Clinton’s once commanding lead over her Democratic rivals for the 2008 New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Primary has been nearly halved.  Last month, Clinton led her closest competitor, Barack Obama, by 21 percentage points.  Now, the gap has narrowed to just 11 percentage points.  36% of likely Democratic presidential primary voters support Senator Clinton followed by 25% for Senator Obama.  Former Senator John Edwards receives 14%.  The remaining candidates, Governor Bill Richardson, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Senator Joe Biden, Senator Chris Dodd, and former Senator Mike Gravel trail with single digit support.[*]

 

Question Wording: If the New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Primary were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

 

Potential Democratic
Primary Voters

November 2007

October 2007

 

Likely Voters

Likely Voters

w/ Leaners

 

Total

 

Likely Voters

Likely Voters

w/ Leaners

 

Total

Hillary Clinton

36%

38%

39%

41%

43%

40%

Barack Obama

25%

26%

23%

20%

21%

20%

John Edwards

14%

14%

13%

11%

12%

12%

Bill Richardson

  6%

  6%

  6%

  8%

  8%

  7%

Dennis Kucinich

  3%

  3%

  3%

  3%

  3%

  2%

Joe Biden

  2%

  2%

  2%

  3%

  3%

  2%

Chris Dodd

  1%

  2%

  1%

  2%

  2%

  2%

Mike Gravel

<1%

<1%

<1%

<1%

<1%

<1%

Undecided

13%

  9%

13%

12%

  8%

15%

·                What’s changed?  Although Hillary Clinton has seen a decline in support among many groups within New Hampshire’s likely Democratic Primary electorate, one of the biggest changes has been among men forty-five years of age and older.  Last month, she led both Barack Obama and John Edwards by 20 percentage points among this group.  It is now a three-way contest.   In a turnabout from last month’s poll, Obama now leads Clinton by 13 percentage points among first time voters.  He trailed Clinton by 19 percentage points among first time voters in the earlier poll.  Nearly one in five likely Democratic primary voters has never before voted in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary. 

 

Question Wording: If the New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Primary were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

 

 

 

Likely Dem. Voters

 

 

Clinton

 

 

Obama

 

 

Edwards

 

 

Other

 

 

Undecided

 

Clinton Lead

Percentage Point Change

Men

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 14

  November 2007

23%

26%

18%

20%

13%

- 3

 

  October 2007

32%

21%

10%

26%

11%

11

 

Men 45 and older

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 22

  November 2007

22%

24%

20%

21%

13%

- 2

 

  October 2007

36%

16%

16%

23%

  9%

20

 

Women

 

 

 

 

 

 

  - 6

  November 2007

45%

24%

11%

  7%

13%

21

 

  October 2007

47%

20%

10%

10%

13%

27