Polls: Clinton, Obama split Ky., Ore.

BOSTON, May 19 (UPI) -- The next Democratic primaries find Hillary Clinton solidly ahead in Kentucky while Barack Obama leads a tight race in Oregon, Suffolk University polls indicate.

In Kentucky, Clinton, a U.S. senator from New York, has support from 51 percent of people polled, compared to Obama's 25 percent, Suffolk University pollsters in Boston said Monday. In Oregon, Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois had a 45 percent-to-41 percent lead over Clinton, the poll indicated.

Oregon and Kentucky conduct their primaries Tuesday. Suffolk University surveyed likely Democratic primary voters in each state.

"With the nominating contest winding down, it's unusual -- to say the least -- to have two states' polls literally poles apart," said David Paleologos, Political Research Center director at Suffolk University. "And I don't think I've ever seen such a disparity in a presidential candidate's popularity from state to state."

Pollsters surveyed 600 likely primary voters in each state Saturday and Sunday. The sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.