Sanders surpasses Clinton in Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- A new poll shows Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. leading Hillary Clinton in Iowa just 20 days before the Iowa caucuses.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday showed Sanders with 49 percent support among likely Democratic caucus goers, compared with 44 percent for Clinton. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley garnered 4 percent.

The same poll released on Dec. 15 showed Clinton in the lead with 51 percent, trailed by Sanders with 40 percent.

The poll was conducted between Jan. 5 - 10 and surveyed 492 likely Iowa Democratic caucus participants with a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percentage points.

A Monmouth University poll released Monday showed Sanders ahead of Clinton in New Hampshire by a 14-point margin just under a month away from the first-in-the-nation primary on Feb. 9.

The Real Clear Politics 30-day average of all polls has shown Sanders ahead in New Hampshire consistently since Aug. 25, with the exception of the latter half of December, when Clinton was ahead.

But Iowa has been more competitive, with Clinton consistently ahead or tied with Sanders in the Real Clear Politics average. The Quinnipiac poll brings the two candidates into very close competition, with Clinton now leading in Iowa in the Real Clear Politics average by just .2 percent, and trending down.