Staking New Ground, Sanders Overtakes Clinton in Iowa Poll

New polling released Thursday puts Bernie Sanders ahead of Hillary Clinton in the key voting state of Iowa for the first time, marking his continued and growing popularity among voters in the lead-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The senator from Vermont now has a small edge over Clinton with 41 percent of respondents saying they would vote for him over the former Secretary of State, who polled at 40 percent in the new Quinnipiac survey. Two months ago, Sanders was behind Clinton by 21 points.

Vice President Joe Biden, who has hinted that he is considering entering the race but has yet to make any formal declarations, received 12 percent, with former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley trailing at 3 percent.

“[P]eople said there was no way we could win Iowa…. Our successes in these polls are a clear indication that Bernie’s message is resonating with voters,” said Sanders’ campaign manager Jeff Weaver on Thursday.

The latest poll follows another recent survey showing Sanders ahead of Clinton in New Hampshire, another crucial battleground state.