Getting hot in Nevada: Dead heat between Hillary and Bernie in Saturday's caucus

Hillary Clinton holds 1 point edge over Bernie; Trump still way ahead in South Carolina, CNN/ORC poll finds

Published February 17, 2016 5:52PM (EST)

Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton   (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton/Mary Schwalm/Photo montage by Salon)
Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton/Mary Schwalm/Photo montage by Salon)

Democratic voters in Nevada are split almost evenly between the two candidates, with 48% supporting Hillary Clinton and 47% for Bernie Sanders, according to a new poll by CNN/ORC.

According to the poll, the former secretary of state holds an edge over the Vermont senator ahead of Saturday's caucus on a number of top issues, including foreign policy, race relations, immigration and health care.

Voters who say the economy is their highest priority in choosing a candidate, support Sanders: 52% vs. 43% Clinton.

Meanwhile, both candidates maintained their demographic edges from New Hampshire and Iowa, with Clinton carrying women and Sanders staying popular with young voters.

When asked which candidate best represents Democratic values, 50% say Clinton while 49% side with Sanders according to the poll.

On the other side, the Republican result seems more predictable, as the poll finds Donald Trump holding a strong lead in the South Carolina primary Saturday, with 45% of the support of those likely to caucus, nearly more than his closest three opponents combined. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz are in a very close race for second place, with Rubio at 19% and Cruz at 17%. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson holds 7%, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich is at 5% and former Gov. Jeb Bush lags way behind with just 1%.

 

Unlike the Democrats, nearly 6-in-10 likely GOP caucus goers say they have made up their minds on whom to support on Saturday, with only one-quarter still trying to decide.

 

Both Nevada and South Carolina Republicans say Trump dominates the field on handling top issues, including the economy (61%), illegal immigration (58%), ISIS (55%) and foreign policy (42%). Trump also holds an edge on Cruz and Rubio on handling social issues at 28% and, 21% for Cruz and 20% Rubio. The GOP caucus in Nevada is Feb. 23.

 

The poll has a margin error of +/- 6.5 points for Republicans and +/- 6 points for Democrats.

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By Antoaneta Roussi

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