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NEW YORK, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- The latest political polls show Martin O'Malley still hanging on in the Democratic presidential race and Donald Trump increasing his GOP lead nationally. The former Maryland governor's poll numbers continue to struggle in single digits, but it's just enough to keep him on the stage for the fourth Democratic debate Sunday. Meanwhile, GOP front-runner Donald Trump has doubled his lead nationally over his nearest rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
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The new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll found O'Malley with 5 percent support in Iowa, a distant third behind Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with 48 percent and 45 percent, respectively. O'Malley needed to have at least 5 percent support to remain on the debate stage.
The fourth Democratic debate will be held in Charleston, S.C., at 9 p.m. Eastern Sunday on NBC.
Trump's lead among national Republican primary voters ballooned over Cruz 33 percent to 20 percent, his highest percentage so far. Third is Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, followed by Ben Carson at 12 percent. No other GOP candidate has support in the double-digits.
Just last month Trump only held a five-point lead over Cruz, 27 percent to 22 percent.
