Report: Sanders leads Clinton among Democrats in New Hampshire poll

If the primary were held today, Sanders would defeat Clinton 44 percent to 37 percent, according to the poll.

Democratic presidential candidate and US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks at a campaign event in Des Moines (photo credit: REUTERS)
Democratic presidential candidate and US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks at a campaign event in Des Moines
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the liberal senator who has emerged as the main challenger to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, has taken a surprising lead in public opinion polls just before the much-anticipated New Hampshire primary, according to the Boston Herald.
If the primary were held today, Sanders would defeat Clinton 44 percent to 37 percent, according to the poll.
In a blow to Clinton and her efforts to to court key labor votes, National Nurses United, the nation's largest organization of nurses, endorsed Sanders on Monday for the 2016 presidential race.
Sanders "aligns completely with the nurses' values," said RoseAnn DeMoro, the group's executive director, citing issues such as healthcare and trade.
The NNU is the first national union to endorse Sanders, who has been building momentum among more progressive Democrats.
Last month Clinton picked up an endorsement from the American Federation of Teachers.
The split between the two unions - both part of the larger AFL-CIO - underscores the uphill battle facing Clinton as she looks to build a broad coalition within her party to avoid a bloody primary battle.